Anyue Sweet Potato

Anyue Sweet Potato

　　Anyue Sweet Potato, a renowned specialty of Anyue County in Ziyang, Sichuan Province, also known as Anyue Sweet Potato, is rich in a variety of nutrients essential to the human body, including protein, sugar, fat, phosphorus, calcium, iron, carotene, as well as vitamins B1, B2, C, niacin, and linoleic acid.

　　Anyue County in Ziyang is a region of low hills, a major agricultural county, and a densely populated area. The perennial planting area of sweet potatoes reaches 600,000 mu, with an annual output exceeding 1.6 billion jin. Leveraging its advantages of having the largest sweet potato planting area and yield in the province, along with abundant rural labor resources, the county has significantly focused on the "sweet potato" industry, establishing an industrialized sweet potato system characterized by "market linked to leading enterprises, leading enterprises linked to large-scale farmers, and large-scale farmers supporting smallholders." 9XL

　　The processing of sweet potatoes in Anyue County has reached a preliminary scale, with over 700 million jin of fresh sweet potatoes processed annually. Processed products include refined white starch, various types of vermicelli, and instant sweet potato noodles. The county has 120,000 households engaged in sweet potato processing, with over 300,000 practitioners, including 28 specialized villages, 310 specialized cooperatives, 70 large-scale vermicelli producers with an annual output of over 50 tons, 530 producing 25–50 tons, and 700 general large-scale producers. There are also two large sweet potato processing enterprises (Sichuan Anyue Ruifa Food Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Xingguo Green Food Co., Ltd.). Four specialized vermicelli markets have been established, including the largest one in southwestern China. 9XL

　　To promote industrial development, a closely linked benefit mechanism has been established among processing enterprises, base villages, cooperatives, and farmers based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit. Leading enterprises sign contracts for the purchase of crude starch and sweet potatoes with base villages, cooperatives, and farmers, and are also responsible for promoting high-quality sweet potato varieties, forming a community that shares both risks and benefits. Currently, the county has 14 towns, 129 villages, and 1,201 cooperatives dedicated to breeding high-quality seed varieties, covering a total area of 50,000 mu. The rise of the Anyue Sweet Potato industry has transformed what was once an overlooked crop into a cash crop, making it a key pillar of Anyue’s rural economy. 9XL