Qingtongxia Tomatoes

Qingtongxia Tomatoes

Qingtongxia Tomatoes are a product certified with a Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Qingtongxia tomatoes are mainly distributed in Qujing Town of Qingtongxia City, covering a total production area of 1,000 hectares with an annual output of 60,000 tons. Qingtongxia City is situated in the central part of the Yellow River Irrigation Area on the Ningxia Plain, between 105°21′–106°21′ east longitude and 37°36′–38°15′ north latitude, with an average elevation of 1,121 meters. It stretches 29.6 kilometers from north to south and has an average width of 3.2 kilometers from east to west. The southern boundary starts from Qingtongxia Town, the northern reaches border Shaogang Town and Liujun Town of Yongning County, and YeSheng Town borders RenCun of Yongning. The eastern edge is along the middle axis of the Yellow River, while the western boundary runs along the Mountain-Rim Highway, including National Highways 109 and 110. The Baotou-Lanzhou Railway runs north-south through the area, and the Shizhong, Qingwu, and Lingwu expressways extend east-west.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic-Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: Qingtongxia City is located in the central part of the Yellow River Irrigation Area on the Ningxia Plain, featuring flat terrain. The soil is mainly composed of Yellow River silt sediment, saline-alkali soil, and red sandy soil, with 296,000 mu of silt sediment, 46,000 mu of saline-alkali soil, and 84,000 mu of red sandy soil. The average soil pH is 8.54, and the average organic matter content is 14.9. The soil is fertile, deep, and nutrient-rich. The topography consists of the upper reaches of the Ningxia Plain formed by the alluvial fan of the Yellow River from the Helan Mountains, sloping from southwest to northeast with a gradient of 2500:1.

　　(2) Hydrology: The Yellow River flows through the planting region, and irrigation water for tomato cultivation comes from the Yellow River. In 1967, the Qingtongxia Hydraulic Complex was completed, becoming the headworks for major canals in the Yinchuan Plain, including the West Main Canal, Tanglai Canal, Hanyan Canal, Huinong Canal, Qin Canal, Han Canal, and East Main Canal. These seven main canals extend 260 kilometers through the region, providing an annual water allocation of 959 million cubic meters. According to the *Technical Specifications for Monitoring Agricultural Water Source Environmental Quality* (NY/T396-2000),

　　irrigation water quality is monitored, and evaluation results show that all monitored parameters of the irrigation water used for tomato production are within acceptable limits, confirming the water quality as qualified.

　　(3) Climate: The tomato-growing region has a continental monsoon climate characterized by dryness, little rainfall, large diurnal temperature variations, abundant sunshine, cold winters, hot summers, few catastrophic weather events, long frost-free periods, and abundant light, heat, and water resources. Irrigated agriculture relying on the Yellow River ensures stable yields regardless of drought or flood.

　　The average wind speed is 3 meters per second, peaking in April. The dominant wind direction is northwest throughout the year, with maximum wind force reaching level 7. There are 9 days of sandstorms and 14 days of blowing dust annually.

　　The average annual temperature is 9.5°C, with extreme lows of -17.6°C and extreme highs of 34°C. The accumulated temperature above 10°C ranges from 3,200–3,400°C, and the frost-free period lasts 140–160 days.

　　The annual sunshine duration is 3,102.5 hours, averaging 8.5 hours per day, with the longest days in July at 13.5 hours and the shortest in December at 9 hours. The average annual solar radiation is 144.6 kcal/cm².

　　The average annual precipitation is 146.8 mm, with most rainfall concentrated between June and September, accounting for 60% of the yearly total. The average annual evaporation is 1,940 mm, about 9.1 times the precipitation, with a daily average evaporation of 5.3 mm.

　　(4) Humanistic-Historical Factors: Tomato cultivation in Qingtongxia began in the 1990s and has a history of nearly 20 years. Qingtongxia City is a key national commodity grain production base and also an important vegetable production hub in the northwest. The city covers a land area of 2,445 square kilometers, with over 800,000 mu of arable land and a total population of 300,000, including 200,000 agricultural residents, accounting for 67% of the population. Additionally, Qingtongxia is located on the central Ningxia Plain, traversed by the Baotou-Lanzhou and Daguzhou railways, as well as the Shizhong Expressway and National Highway 109. It is the only county-level city in Ningxia listed among the top 100 in the western region, enjoying significant locational advantages, convenient transportation, exceptional natural conditions, abundant planting resources, a strong economy, social stability, and a simple, honest folk culture—all of which provide an excellent investment environment for vegetable industry development. In recent years, the city has focused on facility-based agriculture as a breakthrough, actively adjusting its industrial structure through government guidance, financial support, corporate operations, and large-scale farmer leadership, vigorously developing modern agriculture. To date, the city has established 13 facility agriculture parks exceeding 1,000 mu each, with 20,000 mu of solar greenhouses constructed. Four large companies, including Shouguang Seedling Company from Shandong and Zhongwei Green Garden Vegetable Cooperative, along with 90 large-scale facility vegetable growers, have invested over 40 million yuan to participate in the construction of solar greenhouses and three factory-style seedling centers across the city, fostering a favorable atmosphere for industrialized development. The robust advancement of modern agriculture has created excellent opportunities for the growth of Qingtongxia tomatoes.

　　Production Technical Requirements

　　(1) Site Selection and Special Provisions: Only areas meeting the environmental conditions for pollution-free vegetable production may serve as tomato planting bases.

　　(2) Variety Selection and Specific Requirements: Varieties should be selected for their ability to produce continuous yields over long seasons, such as FA—870 and FA—189. Currently, the main varieties grown in the city include Israeli strains F4-870 and F4-189, and the French variety 73-472.

　　(3) Production Process Management, Including Special Regulations on Agricultural Inputs: Tomato seeds are managed under a unified procurement and disinfection system to ensure seed quality. The use of highly toxic or high-residue pesticides is prohibited in tomato production. The application of unregistered fertilizers or pesticides is not allowed. Irrigation using water that does not meet agricultural water standards is forbidden. During storage, processing, packaging, transportation, and sales, any ripening agents, preservatives, whiteners, dyes, or hormone-containing substances harmful to humans are prohibited. Designated personnel must manage fertilizers and pesticides. Regular pesticide residue testing is conducted on tomato bases, and any produce found to have been treated with high-toxicity/high-residue pesticides or exceeding residue limits is banned from market sale and will be publicly exposed.

　　(4) Product Harvesting: Tomatoes are harvested when fully ripe, and the application of any disease or pest control pesticides is strictly prohibited within 15 days before picking.

　　(5) Production Record Requirements: Comprehensive records must be maintained throughout the production process, including purchase, sale, and usage records of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, as well as tomato sales records. Records must be complete, truthful, and kept for at least two years. Input usage records must accurately reflect the entire raw material production process. Any vegetable supply company will reject produce without proper input usage records.

　　Product Typical Quality Characteristics and Quality Safety Standards

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: The main varieties currently grown in the area include Israeli F4-870 and F4-189, and the French 73-472. Tomatoes produced within the region are primarily long-shelf-life thick-skinned varieties, classified as hard fruit with thick skin, flat-round shape, and pink coloration.

　　(2) Internal Quality Indicators: Tomatoes produced in the region yield an average of 20 fruit clusters per plant, with 20 pounds of produce per plant. The growth cycle spans 12 months. They offer excellent taste, high resistance to viral diseases and leaf mold, vigorous growth, and yield 10–15 metric tons per mu, with individual fruit weight of 220–250 grams. Generally, seedlings are raised in protected environments during winter and spring, with cultivation mainly in spring and greenhouse planting in winter. The fruits are rich in nutrients and can be consumed as vegetables or fruits, or processed into canned goods. They contain abundant vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, organic acids, and small amounts of protein. They aid digestion, promote urination, and inhibit various bacteria. Vitamin D in tomatoes helps protect blood vessels and treat hypertension. Glutathione in tomatoes delays cellular aging and enhances anti-cancer capability. Carotene in tomatoes protects skin elasticity, promotes bone calcification, and helps prevent rickets, night blindness, and xerophthalmia in children. Qingtongxia tomatoes store well, are suitable for long-distance transport, are high-yield, and easy to manage. They play a significant role in off-season vegetable supply. They exhibit continuous fruiting without premature aging, tolerate low temperatures and weak light, and resist high temperatures effectively. Greenhouse tomatoes are transplanted in November each year, and as long as temperatures do not fall below levels causing physiological frost damage, yields meet expected levels. Annual production is around 60,000 tons, with 90% sold externally. Major sales regions are in the northwest, where fresh product prices are favorable, and the "Qingtongxia Tomato" brand enjoys high recognition.

　　(3) Safety Requirements: The growing environment for Qingtongxia tomatoes complies with the *Quality Requirements for Pollution-Free Vegetable Production Environments* and *Environmental Quality Standards*. Product safety and hygiene indicators exceed national standards. The entire production process follows pollution-free vegetable standardization and the city’s own production technical regulations.

　　Packaging, Labeling, and Related Regulations

　　Production and business enterprises within the geographical scope must correctly use the nationally unified public identification on products or packaging, in accordance with the *Regulations on the Use of Public Identifications for Geographical Indications of Agricultural Products* and the authorization rules of the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture. An identification management system should be established, with truthful records of identification usage, registration, and archival storage for three years. During transportation, tomatoes must comply with relevant regulations. Vehicles must be equipped with insulation facilities, and transportation must be carried out appropriately.

　　Production and business enterprises within the designated area shall correctly use the nationally unified public logo on their products or product packaging in accordance with the requirements of the "Public Logo Usage Standards for Geographical Indications of Agricultural Products" and the public logo authorization regulations of the Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture. They should establish a logo usage management system, truthfully record the use of the logo, register and archive such records, with a retention period of three years. During the transportation of tomatoes, relevant regulations must be followed. Vehicles must be equipped with thermal insulation facilities, and transportation must be carried out in a reasonable manner.