Xiji Potatoes

Xiji Potatoes

Xiji Potatoes is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Xiji Potatoes is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　Specific Quality

　　Xiji potatoes are grown in the central Loess Plateau region at the western foothills of the Liupan Mountains, where industrial development is limited and the environment remains pristine. Thanks to the unique climate and soil conditions, these potatoes are large in size, thin-skinned, tender-fleshed, and of premium quality.

　　Cultural Background

　　In 2003, Xiji was listed among the top ten pollution-free agricultural product bases in Ningxia; in February 2004, Xiji County was named “China’s Hometown of Potatoes.”

　　In recent years, Xiji County has focused on developing the humble “small potato” as a major industry to adjust agricultural structure and increase farmers’ income. With over 12 million yuan in special investment, the county established the “Xiji Potato Virus-Free Seed Breeding Base” and the “Ningxia Potato Technology Service Center,” addressing long-standing challenges such as seed degeneration, viruses, and low yield, while promoting high-yield new varieties on a large scale. The market potential for potato production has also been expanded: towns like Xinying, Tianping, and Majian actively grow table-type potatoes; towns such as Xinglong, Jiangtai, and Malian have introduced various potato processing projects and new technologies through diverse approaches to extend the income chain via deep processing.

　　Meanwhile, the Xiji County Party Committee and government saw the potential in potato farming and worked hard to strengthen the industry. This year, they guided farmers to focus on standardized and mechanized potato planting, setting up three potato soil testing and formulated fertilization trial zones, seven core demonstration areas for such fertilization, six standardized cultivation technology promotion sites exceeding 3,000 mu each, and two 1,000-mu mechanized sowing and harvesting demonstration sites. The efforts paid off handsomely with a bumper potato harvest. Huang Shengrong, a major grower in Wan’ya Village, Jiqiang Town—one of the beneficiaries of mechanized farming—told reporters that he planted 30 mu of potatoes mechanically this year. Having harvested over 10 mu so far, he reported an average yield of more than 1,500 kg per mu. Buyers from Guangdong and Jiangsu were waiting at the fields to purchase the crop, with prices reaching up to 0.6 yuan per jin. Selling 30 mu of potatoes for over 30,000 yuan posed no problem. According to Yang Junwei, head of Xiji County’s Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, mechanized potato farming ensures proper plowing depth, even plant spacing, pesticide-treated seeds, moisture retention, and drought resistance, coupled with scientific field management—guaranteeing high yields. Mechanized sowing and harvesting is also a key “prescription” Xiji plans to promote.

　　It is understood that this year, Xiji County is striving to become “China’s No. 1 Potato Planting County,” introducing ten pro-farmer policies to support the potato industry and making a big push into potato production. The county also actively encourages farmers to plant and develop potatoes on a large scale by rewarding “major growers,” “exporters,” “Potato Kings,” and those who set “high-yield records.” Buoyed by their success, Xiji’s potato farmers added 250,000 mu of potato planting area, bringing the county’s total to 1.25 million mu. The projected total yield exceeds 1.25 million tons, with per capita potato income expected to surpass 800 yuan. This allows Xiji’s farmers to profit handsomely even in a year of severe drought.

　　Regional Scope

　　Xiji County is located in the southern mountainous area of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, at the western foothills of the Liupan Mountains and on the southern edge of the central Ningxia arid belt, spanning longitude 105°20′–106°04′ and latitude 35°35′–36°14′. The county governs 19 townships (towns), 306 administrative villages, with a total population of 469,000, including 436,000 agricultural residents and 52.7% ethnic Hui. The total land area is 3,144 square kilometers, with 3.2 million mu of arable land. The terrain rises gradually from south to north, east, and west, ranging from 1,688 to 2,633 meters in elevation. The defined agricultural geographical indication area covers nine townships within Xiji County: Jiqiang Town, Huoshizhai Township, Xinying Township, Subao Township, and Piancheng Township, encompassing 96 administrative villages with a total production area of 20,000 hectares and a yield of 450,000 tons.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic-Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Landform Conditions: The main landform types in the county include earth-rocky mountains, loess hills, and river valley plains, accounting for 83.5%, 6.1%, and 10.4% of the total area respectively. The predominant soil types are loessal soil and black calcareous soil, with the latter making up 87.75% of the total soil area. These soils feature deep layers, good structure, loose texture, good air permeability, a pH range of 6.1–7.0, organic matter content of 1.5%, hydrolyzable nitrogen of 40–60 ppm, available phosphorus of 14–30 ppm, and available potassium over 150 ppm—indicating medium levels of hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus but rich available potassium. The soil is loose, well-aerated, has deep plowing layers, and high nutrient content.

　　(2) Hydrological Conditions: The county has three river systems—the Hulu River, Qingshui River, and Zuli River—but their annual flow is

　　very small, often drying up in winter and spring. The northeastern part belongs to the Qingshui River system, while most other areas belong to the Hulu River system.

　　(3) Climate Conditions: The local climate is mild with relatively low rainfall, abundant sunlight, short frost-free periods, and significant variations in precipitation and temperature. Spring warms up quickly, is dry and windy with large temperature fluctuations, and often experiences late spring cold snaps; summer is short with moderate temperatures; autumn sees more rainfall, rapid cooling, and early frosts; winter is long, harsh, and dry. The annual average temperature is 5.3°C, with an extreme maximum of 33.9°C and an extreme minimum of -27.1°C; the average frost-free period is 144 days. Annual sunshine duration is 2,034.3 hours; annual evaporation is 1,297.7 mm, and average annual rainfall ranges between 350–500 mm. Natural disasters such as drought, hail, and frost are frequent. The county’s climate is transitional from temperate semi-humid to semi-arid, with strong continental characteristics. Coupled with significant elevation differences, the area features complex and diverse conditions. The average wind speed is 1.8 m/s, with northwest winds prevailing in winter and southeast winds in summer.

　　(4) Humanistic-Historical Factors: Xiji County is a major potato-producing region and the largest agricultural county in Ningxia. Potatoes are the dominant industry, contributing significantly to the county’s GDP and locally referred to as “golden beans.” Xiji has also established a Potato Germplasm Resource Preservation Center, with high-quality potato cultivation covering over 1.2 million mu. Xiji potatoes are the result of careful selection and natural adaptation by local farmers. According to the Xiji County Annals, during the Ming Dynasty’s Chenghua era, “settlers cultivated the land,” growing autumn crops like “yangyu” (potatoes) to develop agriculture; by the 11th year of the Qing Dynasty’s Xianfeng reign (1861), “land reclamation was encouraged,” with “two or three parts of the crops being potatoes.” Over centuries of potato farming, laborers accumulated rich experience in cultivation and breeding. Varieties historically planted included Mayu, Dahongshao, and Shenyanwo, which gradually evolved into the representative Xiji potato variety “Hongyangyu” (Red Potato), widely grown and popular in the market. Products are sold across Guangdong, Fujian, and other parts of China, with annual sales exceeding 300,000 tons, and some exported to Southeast Asia.

　　Production Technical Requirements

　　(1) Site Selection: Choose plots with light-textured, deep, loose, fertile, and well-drained soil. For irrigated land, ensure convenient irrigation and drainage. Practice a rotation of at least three crops, using legumes, wheat, corn, rice, flax, millet, etc., as previous crops. In the central arid zone, planting on fallow land is preferred, and continuous cropping or back-to-back cropping with solanaceous crops is prohibited. For dryland, plow the soil as soon as possible after the previous crop is harvested, with a plowing depth of over 20 cm; shallow plowing and harrowing should be done after rain, followed by pre-sowing harrowing and soil preparation two weeks prior. For former plastic-mulched cornfields, conservation tillage can be applied—leaving the mulch and stubble over winter, then removing residual film and roots, and preparing the land before planting. For irrigated land, use mechanical deep plowing (25 cm) after the previous crop is harvested, apply sufficient winter irrigation in time, and prepare raised beds close to planting time.

　　(2) Variety Selection: Choose the representative local variety “Hongyangyu,” using virus-free first- or second-grade seed potatoes that meet national standards.

　　(3) Production Process Management: To enhance the Xiji potato geographical indication initiative, ensure product quality meets green food standards, produce high-standard, high-quality potatoes, and improve the quality control system, the following management systems are established for production process management: (1) Base Production Management System, (2) Agricultural Input Management System, (3) Technical Guidance and Extension System, (4) Training System.

　　(4) Product Harvesting: Harvest when the above-ground stems and leaves have turned completely yellow and tuber growth has ceased, timing the harvest according to market, delivery, or storage needs. One week before harvest, kill the vines. Freshly harvested potatoes should be thoroughly dried and cured until the skin is suberized before transportation or storage.

　　(5) Production Record Requirements: Maintain detailed records of the production location, soil tillage history, farm machinery used, fertilizer names, application methods, timing and amounts, pesticide names, application methods, timing, targets, as well as the dates, methods, and quantities of product harvesting, storage, and sales.

　　(2) Variety selection: Choose the representative local variety "Red Potato," using first- and second-grade virus-free seed potatoes that meet national quality standards.

　　(3) Production process management: To strengthen the work related to the geographical indication of agricultural products—potatoes—in Xiji County, ensure the potato product quality meets green food standards, produce high-standard and high-quality potatoes, and improve the quality control system, the following management systems are established for production process management. These include: first, the base production management system; second, the agricultural input management system; third, the technical guidance and promotion system; and fourth, the training system.

　　(4) Product harvesting: Harvest when the above-ground stems and leaves have all turned from green to yellow and tuber expansion has ceased, timing the harvest appropriately based on the schedule for fresh potato marketing, delivery, or storage. One week before harvesting, destroy the vines. The harvested fresh potatoes should first be thoroughly air-dried until the skin is suberized before transportation or storage.

　　(5) Production record requirements: Maintain detailed records regarding the product production location, soil tillage history, agricultural machinery used, names of fertilizers applied, methods and timing of fertilizer application, amounts used, names of pesticides applied, methods and timing of pesticide application, targets of application, as well as the dates, methods, and quantities of product harvesting, storage, and sales.

　　Typical quality characteristics of the product and regulations on product quality and safety

　　(1) External sensory characteristics: Starch content of 17.3%, dry matter of 21.5%, shallow eyes, regular tuber shape, smooth skin, red skin with yellow flesh, suitable for fresh consumption and culinary use. When cooked, it emits a rich aroma, with a fragrant and smooth texture and unique flavor. The aroma spreads throughout the kitchen during cooking, offering a pleasant taste and good structural integrity without breaking easily. Potatoes from Xiji County are nutritionally complete and represent the potatoes of Ningxia, enjoying a reputation across China.

　　(2) Internal quality indicators: Taking 2,500g of fresh potatoes as an example: protein content of 42g, fat 15.5g, carbohydrates 615g, calories 2,770 cal, crude fiber 31g, minerals 1,586.5g, vitamins 452.05mg. Xiji potatoes are particularly rich in starch, protein, iron, vitamin C, B1, and B2.

　　The vitamin content is abundant; taking 2,500g of fresh potatoes as an example, the vitamin content exceeds that of comparable samples by more than 50g.

　　(3) Safety requirements: ① Base environmental protection system. First, strictly control the establishment of new industrial or mining enterprises with pollution sources within a 5-kilometer radius of the base and a 20-kilometer upwind range to prevent industrial “three wastes” from polluting the base; second, set up environmental protection signboards; third, manure and wastewater from livestock and poultry farms within the geographical indication area of Xiji County potatoes must undergo harmless treatment, and the farmyard manure applied must be fully fermented at high temperatures to ensure it is harmless; fourth, commission the Ningxia Agricultural Environmental Monitoring Station to conduct environmental assessments annually. ② Supervision and management system (including inspection and testing system). First, rely on the Ningxia Agricultural Environment Testing Station for environmental testing and the county Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau for product testing, gradually establishing a testing system; second, the office conducts overall supervision and inspection; third, professionals and working teams at the base consist of staff from the Xiji County Potato Industry Service Center, responsible for managing production records, specifically carried out by employees of township agricultural science and technology service centers; fourth, the Xiji County Potato Geographical Indication Management Market Access Supervision Team conducts inspections and supervision on the production environment, production process, input usage, product quality, market presence, and production record-keeping.

　　The manure water from livestock and poultry farms must undergo harmless treatment, and the farmyard manure applied must be fully fermented and decomposed at high temperatures to ensure it is harmless; fourth, an environmental assessment is commissioned annually from the Ningxia Agricultural Environmental Monitoring Station; ② Supervision and management system (including inspection and testing system). First, relying on the Ningxia Agricultural Environment Testing Station for environmental inspection and testing, and the county Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau for product inspection and testing, gradually establishing an inspection and testing system; second, the office conducts overall supervision and inspection; third, the base professionals and working teams consist of staff from the Xiji County Potato Industry Service Center, responsible for managing production record archives, specifically carried out by employees of the township (town) agricultural science and technology service centers; fourth, the Xiji County Potato Agricultural Product Geographical Indication Management Market Access Supervision Team conducts supervision and inspection of the production environment, production process, use of inputs, product quality, market, and production record archives.

　　Packaging, labeling, and related regulations

　　(1) Packaging: Two packaging methods are used—box packaging and bag packaging.

　　(2) Labeling: Users of the mark shall uniformly apply the agricultural product geographical indication (a combined labeling format of the Xiji Potato name and the public identification pattern) on their products or packaging.