Lizhou Tribute Rice

Lizhou Tribute Rice

　　Lizhou Tribute Rice

　　According to research, as early as the ancient Ba state during the Zhou Dynasty, rice cultivation had already begun in Lizhou District, and rice had become one of the staple foods for the local ancestors. Over time, through prolonged natural selection and countless rounds of culling, a superior-quality, high-yield, and disease-resistant long-grain, indica-type conventional rice variety was selected and widely planted in the mid-to-low mountainous areas of Lizhou District. By the late Qing Dynasty, this rice variety had become the main type cultivated in the region. “Lizhou Tribute Rice” is processed from this rice—its grains are slender, uniformly plump, glistening and smooth, yielding tender and resilient cooked rice with a slightly greenish hue both in the grains and congee.

　　During the Second Revolutionary Civil War, the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Area was the second-largest revolutionary base in China. The Red Fourth Army, represented by veteran revolutionaries such as Xu Xiangqian, Li Xiannian, and Xu Shiyou, carried out three years of arduous and heroic struggle here. After repelling the Nationalist Army’s “Third and Eighth Route” and “Six Route” offensives, the Red Army not only survived but grew from 15,000 troops upon entering Sichuan to over 100,000. Throughout this bloody and protracted fight, “Lizhou Tribute Rice” became one of the main food supplies sustaining tens of thousands of Red Army soldiers.

　　After the liberation, the rice used to produce “Lizhou Tribute Rice” continued to be widely cultivated in the suitable mid-to-low mountainous areas of Lizhou District. From the late 1970s onward, due to the vigorous introduction of high-yield hybrid rice varieties, the planting scale of this traditional rice temporarily shrank, confined mainly to the Dashí and Bǎolún areas. In recent years, with rising living standards, high-quality, safe, and pollution-free “green food” has gained popularity in the market. “Lizhou Tribute Rice,” a traditional product rich in historical significance and distinctive characteristics, has once again found market opportunities. Seizing this chance, Lizhou District positioned “Lizhou Tribute Rice” as a breakthrough in developing a “green economy.” Following an agricultural industry development model of “company + base + technology + farmers,” and leveraging the unique rice variety that serves as the raw material for “Lizhou Tribute Rice” along with the district’s naturally superior conditions for growing high-quality rice, the district established a benefit-sharing mechanism. Led by Shuliang Rice Industry Co., Ltd. of Lizhou District and driven by the brand strength of “Lizhou Tribute Rice,” all stakeholders were mobilized to increase income and achieve prosperity.

　　Through unremitting efforts, the raw material production base for “Lizhou Tribute Rice” has expanded to eight towns and villages, covering an area of 3,500 mu, with a rice yield of 26,000 tons and an agricultural output value of 56.8 million yuan. In 2004 alone, farmers in the base areas increased their income by 3.5 million yuan by benefiting from preferential pricing from leading enterprises, averaging an additional 450 yuan per mu.

　　To ensure the quality and unique characteristics of “Lizhou Tribute Rice,” the Lizhou District Party Committee and District Government have carried out comprehensive planning and implementation in areas such as organizational leadership, institutional setup, technical guidance, base construction, processing and production, and market development, achieving commendable results. First, planting and operations have been scaled up; second, production has been standardized. The entire process from rice cultivation to finished product warehousing has been regulated according to “green food” standards, with the formulation of both a “Rice Cultivation Technical Regulation” and a “Production Operation Technical Regulation”; third, market expansion has shown significant success.