Purple yam

Purple yam

　　The people of Suijiang County have a long history of cultivating purple yam. Suijiang purple yam is well known for its delicate texture and rich nutrition. For many years, local farmers mainly grew purple yam for their own consumption or as gifts. In recent years, as public attitudes have evolved and commercial awareness has gradually increased, more purple yam has entered the market. Suijiang purple yam, known for its large size and fresh flavor, has become very popular in the market and developed into a brand. It is considered an excellent gift from Suijiang people to family and friends, earning a far-reaching reputation and being sold in major cities such as Yibin and Chengdu in Sichuan Province, and Kunming in Yunnan Province.

As the saying goes, “Good wine needs no bush.” Last December, several business owners from Leshan, Sichuan, came to Nongye Village out of admiration and conducted on-site inspections of Suijiang’s purple yam. They committed to purchasing the produce in late November of this year at a price of 2.6–3.00 yuan per kilogram, and paid a deposit of 500 yuan to the farmers. This ensures that each mature purple yam weighs over 1.2 kilograms, achieving a per-mu yield value of over 6,000 yuan. During the official purple yam planting period this February, local farmers, leveraging soil and location advantages, strictly followed standardized planting practices and rigorously managed field cultivation to ensure that each mature purple yam weighs over 1.2 kilograms, achieving a per-mu yield value of over 6,000 yuan.