Tao’an Mung Beans

Tao’an Mung Beans

Tao’an Mung Beans are a product certified with a Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products.

　　Tao’an City is located in the northwest of Jilin Province, in a semi-mountainous region with a short frost-free period and frequent spring droughts in nine out of ten years. Spring rains arrive relatively late, which expands the planting area for short-season coarse grains and legumes. Among these, mung beans occupy the largest proportion, nearly 50%.

　　Geographical Area

　　The production area encompasses all towns and villages within the administrative region of Tao’an City. Tao’an is situated in the northwest of Jilin Province and the south of Baicheng City, between longitude 121°38′20″–123°20′10″ and latitude 45°2′20″–46°1′20″, with an average elevation of 250–350 meters. It borders Da’an City to the east, Tuquan County, Keyouqianqi, and Ulanhot City of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the west and northwest, Tongyu County to the south, and Taobei District and Zhenlai County of Baicheng City to the north and northeast. The total planting area is 1,000 hectares, with an annual output of 6,000 tons.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic-Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: Most of the soil in Tao’an City consists of aeolian sandy soil, chernozem, light chernozem, chestnut soil, with smaller areas of saline-alkali soil and meadow soil. The soil pH ranges from 7 to 8.2, indicating medium fertility. The terrain is higher in the west and north but lower in the east and south, with the Tao’er River and Jiaoliu River flowing through the region.

　　(2) Hydrology: There are eight rivers of varying sizes and two major water resource basins in Tao’an City. The main rivers are the Tao’er and Jiao rivers. Groundwater formation and distribution are constrained by natural geography, climatic hydrology, and geological environment, forming three hydrogeological units. The central alluvial fan area is a water-rich zone with good water quality and abundant supply, while the southern area has good water quality with moderate water volume.

　　(3) Climate: Tao’an City lies in the mid-temperate continental monsoon climate zone. It features large diurnal temperature variations, distinct seasons, dry and windy springs with little rain, and long, cold, and snowy winters. The annual average temperature is 4.8°C, with annual sunshine hours averaging 3,005. The frost-free period lasts 136 days on average, reaching up to 149 days and as short as 118 days. The average annual rainfall is 377.9 mm, mostly concentrated in July and August.

　　(4) Humanistic-Historical Background: Tao’an has long been known as a “Century-Old Prefecture City.” Local farmers have traditionally relied on mung bean cultivation for their livelihood and have extensive knowledge of the growth characteristics and farming techniques of mung beans. In 2003, after three on-site inspections, the China Specialties Promotion and Publicity Committee concluded that Tao’an’s unique geographical location and climatic conditions create advantageous regional resources, providing ideal conditions for mung bean farming. The “Daying’e” brand mung beans from Tao’an have a long planting history. In 1999, they were named a “Jilin Famous Brand Agricultural Product” by the Jilin Provincial People’s Government and won a gold award at the “China Beijing International Agricultural Food Expo.” In 2001, Tao’an mung beans were certified as green food by the China Green Food Development Center and also received a gold award at the “China Changchun International Agricultural Food Expo and Trade Fair.” Mung beans have become a major specialty cash crop in Tao’an, with planting exceeding 500,000 mu, accounting for about one-third of the city’s total cultivated land. In 2002, the total trading volume of mung beans in Tao’an exceeded 120,000 tons, with a transaction value of 380 million yuan. The products are exported to countries and regions such as Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, the United States, and the Netherlands. Currently, Tao’an has become the largest mung bean trading center in Northeast China. Based on this, the China Specialties Promotion and Publicity Organization Committee awarded Tao’an City the title of “Hometown of Chinese Mung Beans.”

　　(4) Cultural and Historical Background: Taonan has long been known as the "Century-Old Prefectural City." Local farmers have traditionally relied on growing mung beans for their livelihoods and have developed an in-depth understanding of the beans' growth characteristics and cultivation techniques. In 2003, after three on-site inspections, the China Specialties Promotion and Publicity Committee concluded that Taonan’s unique geographical location and climatic conditions had formed advantageous regional resources, providing distinctive advantages for mung bean cultivation. The “Big Parrot” brand mung beans from Taonan have a long history of cultivation. In 1999, they were designated as a “Famous Agricultural Product of Jilin Province” by the People’s Government of Jilin Province and won a gold award at the “China Beijing International Agricultural Food Expo.” In 2001, Taonan mung beans were certified as green food by the China Green Food Development Center and also won a gold award at the “China Changchun International Agricultural Food Expo and Trade Fair.” Mung beans have become one of the main specialty cash crops in Taonan, with over 500,000 mu under cultivation, accounting for about one-third of the city’s total arable land. In 2002, the total trading volume of mung beans in the Taonan market exceeded 120,000 tons, with a transaction value of 380 million yuan. The products are exported to countries and regions including Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, the United States, and the Netherlands. Currently, Taonan has become the largest mung bean trading center in Northeast China. In recognition of this, the China Specialties Promotion and Publicity Committee awarded Taonan the title of “Hometown of Chinese Mung Beans.”

　　Production Technical Requirements

　　(1) Origin Selection and Special Provisions: The production area should be flat farmland with harmful heavy metal content in the soil not exceeding national standards, complete water conservancy facilities, and located away from highways, hospitals, mines, and garbage dumps.

　　(2) Variety Selection and Specific Requirements: High-quality, high-yield, disease-resistant, stress-tolerant, and marketable varieties such as Daying’e Green 522, Gonglv 1, Jilv 9346, and Bailv No. 8 are selected.

　　(3) Production Process Management: The production process of Tao’an mung beans complies with the NY/T5204-2004 technical regulations for pollution-free mung bean production. During production, inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides must come from reliable sources.

　　(4) Product Harvesting and Post-Harvest Processing: Harvesting should take place after the pesticide safety interval. Tools used for harvesting must be clean, hygienic, and free of contamination.

　　(5) Production Record Requirements: Records must be kept for agricultural inputs, including the name of the input, usage time, frequency, quantity, application method, and harvest date.

　　Typical Quality Characteristics and Product Quality Safety Standards

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: Tao’an mung beans are large and plump, with an average weight of 6.6–6.8 grams per 100 beans. They are short-cylindrical, bright green in color, and glossy.

　　(2) Internal Quality Indicators: Tao’an mung beans are of high quality and nutritional value, containing 22%–25% protein, 0.24%–2.0% essential amino acids, 58%–60% carbohydrates, less than 1% fat, and 5% fiber. They can be used to make mung bean soup, noodles, mung bean paste, mung bean cake, mung bean balls, mung bean snacks, and more. Mung bean sprouts are nutritious and delicious.

　　(3) Safety Requirements: Tao’an mung beans must comply with relevant standards and laws such as the PRC Agricultural Industry Standard “Pollution-Free Food Grain Legumes” (NY5202), the “PRC Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law,” and the “State Council Special Regulations on Strengthening the Supervision and Management of Food and Other Product Safety.”

　　Packaging, Labeling, and Related Provisions

　　(1) Packaging: Tao’an mung beans shall be packaged for sale according to regulations.

　　(2) Labeling: Users of the label shall uniformly display the Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products (a combination of the Tao’an Mung Beans name and the public identification pattern) on their products or packaging.

　　(3) Others: The grading, storage, and transportation of Tao’an mung beans shall comply with mandatory national technical specifications.