Wugong Garlic

Wugong Garlic

　　Wugong Garlic

　　Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the area mainly grew local varieties of garlic such as Huosuan (used for producing garlic sprouts or early garlic scapes) and the purple-skinned Huosuan from Caijiapo, which were cultivated primarily for household consumption. Planting was scattered and limited to one crop per year. After the founding of the PRC, due to the policy of “grain as the key link,” garlic cultivation remained limited. Major producing areas included Xuegu, Pujijie, Changning, Beiyings, Dazhuang, and Xiaocun townships (towns), with gradual development also occurring on the Second Plateau, along with scattered small plots in townships (towns) on the plateau. In 1972, the county planted 130 mu of garlic. In 1974, after garlic bulbs began to be exported, varieties such as “Shanghai Jiading Garlic,” Shandong’s “Cang Garlic” and “Improved Garlic,” and Henan’s “Songcheng White Garlic” were introduced successively. Thanks to improvements in farming systems and the adoption of intercropping, the practice shifted from monocropping fallow land once a year to harvesting two or even three crops per year, greatly increasing economic returns. Since 1984, garlic production has developed rapidly. In 1989, 25,691 mu were planted, yielding a total of 16,500 tons, with an average yield of 642 kg per mu and a total output value of 17.31 million yuan. The per-mu output value hit a historical high of 673 yuan. In 1990, 29,980 mu were planted, yielding 23,250 tons with an average yield of 776 kg per mu. The commercial supply exceeded 20,000 tons, including 12,000 tons of garlic bulbs and 8,000 tons of garlic scapes. The export supply of garlic bulbs reached 4,500 tons, gaining popularity in international markets such as Europe and America.