Dingbian Potatoes

Dingbian Potatoes

　　Dingbian Potatoes

　　Potatoes are an agricultural product that can be used both as a staple food and a vegetable. Among cash crops in Dingbian’s planting industry, Dingbian Potatoes are the most competitive, characterized by strong adaptability, wide cultivation range, high yield, superior quality, and significant economic benefits. They serve as a pillar industry for the county’s poverty alleviation and prosperity. Currently, the potato planting area in Dingbian covers 500,000 mu, with a total output of 500,000 tons. Both the planting scale and yield rank first among the 12 counties in Yulin City, making Dingbian a key commercial potato production base in Shaanxi Province. The main potato production bases in Dingbian are distributed across the ridges, plateaus, valleys, and basins of the Baiyu Mountain area, covering 18 townships. This region is Dingbian’s primary rain-fed dry farming area, featuring vast land, cool climate, and annual precipitation of 320–400 mm—mostly concentrated in July, August, and September. It enjoys abundant sunlight and large diurnal temperature variations. These unique geographic and climatic conditions are highly suitable for growing potatoes, which thrive in cooler environments. Dingbian Potatoes are renowned both within and outside the province for their large, uniform tubers, high starch content (15%–20%), sandy texture when fresh, and excellent storability and transportability. The county sells approximately over 350,000 tons of fresh potatoes annually, with products mainly shipped to dozens of cities and provinces including Xi'an, Lanzhou, and Yinchuan in the northwest, and Guangzhou, Hunan, and Zhejiang in the south. The potatoes generally hit the market from late September to early October, with local market prices averaging around 0.4–0.5 yuan per kilogram.