Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers

Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers

Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers are a product with geographical indication status.

　　Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers: The fruit is horn-shaped, reaching 12–14 cm in length, with a smooth and glossy surface, thin skin, thick flesh, low moisture content, and high red pigment content. The yield of fresh chili peppers reaches over 2,000 kg per mu, while dried chili pepper yield exceeds 350 kg per mu, with strong disease resistance. The dried chili peppers have a pure color, intense spiciness, and excellent quality, meeting the export first-grade standard.

　　The agricultural product "Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers," declared by the Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Jinchuan District, Jinchang City, has officially passed the review and expert evaluation for geographical indication registration by the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture. It has been recognized as a national seventh-batch geographical indication product and is now legally protected. This marks the first agricultural product in Jinchang City to receive such certification.

　　The protected production area of "Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers" is located in eight villages in Shuangwan Town—including Longkou—and four villages in Ningyuanbao Town—including Xinhua. It has become a pillar industry for increasing farmers' income. As a result, local leading enterprises such as Shuangfeng Chili Industry and Zelin Chili Industry have emerged, and an industrial development pattern of "enterprise + base + farmer" has initially taken shape. In 2010, the district saw record-high yields and prices for American red chili peppers, with per-mu yields reaching 4,000–4,500 jin and peaking at 5,000 jin. Market prices reached up to 2.5 yuan per kilogram, with average per-mu income for growers around 4,500 yuan.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Jinchuan District is located in the eastern part of the Hexi Corridor, on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, between 101°29′ and 102°34′ east longitude, and 38° to 39° north latitude. It lies on the Alxa Plateau, bordering Yongchang County to the south, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north, Wuwei to the east, and Zhangye to the west. The ancient Silk Road once passed through here, making it one of the cities along the New Eurasian Continental Bridge. The terrain is higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast, with the highest point at 3,052 meters and the lowest at 1,327 meters, averaging 1,500 meters above sea level. It features a residual hill and plain terrain, with flat land sloping from northwest to southeast, fertile soil, and relatively abundant water resources. The East and West Great Rivers, formed by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, and the Jinchuan River, fed by springs in the suburbs of Yongchang County, flow through the area. Underground water resources are also relatively rich, conducive to agricultural development. The total area of the jurisdiction is 3,770 square kilometers, with 129,300 mu of arable land and a total population of 200,000, of which 69% are non-agricultural. The region’s ample light, heat resources, and natural conditions are highly suitable for chili cultivation. The planting areas for Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers include Longkou Village, Gucheng Village, Yingpan Village, Jinhe Village, Kangsheng Village, Xujia Gou Village, Chenjia Gou Village, and Tianshengkang Village in Shuangwan Town, as well as Xinhua Village, Xiafen Village, Xiwan Village, and Dongwan Village in Ningyuanbao Town. These areas are also the main production bases for pollution-free agricultural products in Jinchuan District. Over the years, the chili-growing area has expanded from an initial 4 hectares per year to 2,000 hectares, achieving a total output of 10 million kilograms and a total output value of 15 million yuan.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers have a neat and uniform appearance, glossy and smooth surfaces, deep red color with even distribution, thick skin, and strong toughness. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Dried Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers have a moisture content ≤17.9%, average single fruit weight ≥7.0g, fruit length ≥12cm, maximum diameter ≥2cm, average skin thickness ≥0.4mm. Total impurities do not exceed 0.5%, mottled chilies do not exceed 1% of the total, vitamin C ≥126.7mg/g, ash content ≤82.0g/kg, crude fiber (dry) ≤203.4g/kg. (3) Safety Requirements: The growing environment of Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers complies with NY5010-2002 (Pollution-Free Food – Vegetable Growing Environment Conditions); product quality meets the NY5229-2004 (Pollution-Free Food – Dried Chili Peppers) standards; the production process is controlled according to NY/T5208-2004 (Pollution-Free Food – Vegetable Production Technical Regulations) and a series of technical specifications for the production, processing, packaging, storage, and transportation of Jinchuan Red Chili Peppers. Pesticide inputs are used reasonably, with strictly prohibited use of highly toxic pesticides banned by the state, and pesticide safety intervals are strictly enforced.