Xishui Red Barnyard Millet

Xishui Red Barnyard Millet

Xishui Red Barnyard Millet is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Xishui Red Barnyard Millet is a specialty of Xishui County, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province.

　　Xishui Red Barnyard Millet refers to the red barnyard millet that originates from Xishui, is planted, grown, and processed within Xishui County.

　　As an ancient traditional crop, red barnyard millet is suitable for planting in mountainous areas due to its unique biological characteristics. Historically, it was only cultivated in the mountainous regions of southwestern China, mainly in the Xishui area. Located in northern Guizhou, Xishui sits at the junction of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Chongqing, with the Chishui River flowing through the county. Since ancient times, it has been a trade hub and is well known for producing fine liquor. Regions known for brewing are naturally rich in grain crops, making Xishui also a major county for cultivating various grains and cereals, which complements its local liquor industry. Against this backdrop, red barnyard millet gained popularity in Xishui due to its distinctive taste and nutritional value. It was widely planted and gradually developed into a significant scale, eventually becoming widely recognized under the name “Xishui Red Barnyard Millet.”

　　According to the *Xishui County Annals*: “The main crops in the county include millet, barley, oats, peas, broad beans, mung beans, Bashan beans, Beijing beans, kidney beans, buckwheat, grain sorghum, and red barnyard millet.” “Grain sorghum (also called rice millet), oats (oil wheat), and red barnyard millet have high nutritional value and are still grown only sporadically in a few high-altitude and cold mountainous areas today.”

　　According to the *Zunyi City Annals*: “Types of barnyard millet and millet were already being planted in Xishui, Zunyi before the suppression of the Bozhou Rebellion in the 29th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1601). During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, there were varieties such as chicken-claw millet, water millet, and rotten grass rice, distinguished between indica and glutinous types. They were planted in the third lunar month and harvested in the eighth lunar month. Millet was planted in the third lunar month and harvested in the ninth lunar month. During the Republican era, only millet types were planted, not millet.” “There were two local varieties of millet: glutinous red millet and indica red millet.”

　　According to the *Guizhou General Annals*: “Guizhou has many mountains, little flat land, and the soil is extremely poor. If there is slightly more rain, the highlands benefit while the lowlands flood. If the weather stays clear for too long, the lowlands can still rely on irrigation, but the highlands quickly suffer drought. Therefore, annual harvests usually yield only six to seven tenths, up to eight or nine tenths at best. This year, from spring to autumn, the rainfall and sunshine have been timely, and crops throughout the province are thriving exceptionally well. According to reports from various districts, some rice plants bear over ten spikes per stalk, some have two or three branches, and some grow seven or eight feet tall covering several acres, with each spike yielding over six hundred grains. As for sorghum, some plants produce five or six branches. Millet has spikes two feet long with as many as twenty-four ears. Other crops such as autumn buckwheat, red barnyard millet, and vegetables and fruits are all growing vigorously. Even in remote Miao areas and newly developed regions like Danjiang and Bajia, there has been an extraordinarily bountiful harvest. Both residents and Miao people consider this an unprecedented occurrence.”

　　The current administrative region of Xishui County, Guizhou Province

　　*Request from the People’s Government of Xishui County Regarding the Delineation of the Geographical Indication Protection Area for Xishui Red Barnyard Millet*, Xifu Cheng [2015] No. 60

　　Guizhou Provincial Local Standard:

　　*Geographical Indication Product – Xishui Red Barnyard Millet* (Draft)