Qindu Garlic

Qindu Garlic

　　Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the area grew local varieties of garlic such as Huosuan (used for garlic sprouts or early garlic scapes) and the purple-skinned Huosuan from Caijiapo, mainly for self-consumption. These were grown sporadically, with only one crop per year. After the founding of the PRC, due to the policy of “grain as the key link,” garlic cultivation remained limited. The main producing areas included the townships (towns) of Xuegu, Puji Street, Changning, Beiyings, Dazhuang, and Xiaocun, with gradual development also occurring on the Erdaoyuan plateau, and scattered small plots cultivated in the upland townships (towns). In 1972, the county planted 130 mu of garlic. By 1974, after garlic bulbs began to be exported, varieties such as “Shanghai Jiading Garlic,” Shandong’s “Cang Garlic” and “Improved Garlic,” as well as Henan’s “Songcheng White Garlic” were introduced. Due to improvements in farming systems and the adoption of intercropping, the traditional practice of planting a single crop on fallow land once a year was transformed into harvesting two or even three crops per year, leading to increased 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, setting a record average yield value of 673 yuan per mu. In 1990, 29,980 mu were planted, producing 23,250 tons with an average yield of 776 kg per mu. The commercial supply amounted to over 20,000 tons, including 12,000 tons of garlic bulbs, 8,000 tons of garlic scapes, and 4,500 tons of garlic bulbs for export, which gained popularity in international markets such as Europe and America.