Xinkaihe Tribute Rice

Xinkaihe Tribute Rice

Xinkaihe Tribute Rice is a product with geographical indication status.

　　The geographical indication protection area for Xinkaihe Tribute Rice includes paddy fields in Caiyuan Town and Huadian Town within the Xinkai River basin in Ji'an City, situated in the Changbai Mountain range of Jilin Province. The average elevation is around 600 meters, with a total planting area of 200 hectares. Ji'an has over 120 years of history in rice cultivation. According to the "Ji'an County Annals" from the Republican era, “In the 20th year of the Guangxu reign (1894), Zhang Weiyuan of Bazhaowang Village first invited Koreans to trial rice cultivation. By the 2nd year of the Republic of China (1913), the village had dug a three-li-long water channel, diverting water from the Xinkai River to cultivate over 100 mu of rice. The profits were many times greater. Thereafter, farmers rushed to follow suit.” Xinkaihe Tribute Rice is produced using top-tier domestic equipment and processes, refined through more than ten procedures including grain cleaning, impurity removal, stone elimination, layered milling, color sorting, and more. Xinkaihe Tribute Rice is highly nutritious, characterized by large, brightly colored, glossy, uniformly sized grains with high hardness and whiteness. The cooked rice boasts an oily sheen and fragrant aroma.

　　The production area encompasses paddy fields in Caiyuan Town and Huadian Town within the Xinkai River basin in Ji'an City, located in the Changbai Mountain range of Jilin Province. It lies between longitude 125°36′–126°52′ east and latitude 41°16′–41°27′ north, with an average elevation of about 600 meters and a total planting area of 200 hectares, yielding an annual output of 2,000 tons. The specific boundaries are: east to the western slope of Daweitan Gully in Xinhé Village, Huadian Town; south to Mandong Gully in Xinhé Village, Huadian Town; west to Henghuanren Reservoir in Bazhaowang Village, Caiyuan Town; and north to Shanchengzi in Bazhaowang Village, Caiyuan Town.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic-Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: The soil is loose, fertile, well-drained, and has strong water and nutrient retention—mainly loam and alluvial soils. The average organic matter content is 3.97%, total nitrogen 0.156%, total phosphorus 0.105%, total potassium 2.287%, with soil pH ranging between 5.5 and 6.7.

　　(2) Hydrology: Ji'an's rivers belong to the Yalu River system. The city’s mountainous rivers (excluding the Yalu River) receive an average annual rainfall of 924.2 mm. The total water resources amount to 1.765 billion cubic meters, with a calculated sustainable yield of 1.412 billion cubic meters at an 80% retention rate. Usable surface water resources are 870 million cubic meters, and total available water resources (including groundwater) are 1.124 billion cubic meters.

　　(3) Climate: The Xinkaihe Tribute Rice growing region is located in the Xinkai River basin of the Changbai Mountain range and is one of the renowned main production areas for Pianzai ginseng.

　　The annual average temperature is 6.3°C, with around 900 mm of annual rainfall, a frost-free period of approximately 140–150 days, and an average annual sunshine duration of 2,700 hours. The active accumulated temperature above 10°C averages 2,600–2,700°C annually. The region enjoys long daylight hours, minimal cloud cover (usually over 14 hours of sunlight daily, with a sunshine percentage exceeding 50%), and high total solar radiation, resulting in abundant photosynthetic products. Ji'an experiences significant diurnal temperature variation—high daytime temperatures facilitate nutrient production, while low nighttime temperatures aid in nutrient accumulation. Natural disasters such as flooding are rare, and the cold winters help suppress pests and diseases that threaten rice production.

　　(4) Humanistic-Historical Background: Ji'an has over 100 years of history in rice cultivation. According to the "Ji'an County Annals" from the Republican era, “In the 20th year of the Guangxu reign (1894), Zhang Weiyuan of Bazhaowang Village first invited Koreans to trial rice cultivation. Gradually, local farmers learned the technique. By the 2nd year of the Republic of China (1913), the village had dug a three-li-long water channel, diverting water from the Xinkai River to cultivate over 100 mu of rice. The profits were many times greater. Thereafter, farmers rushed to follow suit.” By the 15th year of the Republic of China (1923), the planted area had expanded to 20,972 mu, distributed across all eight districts of the county, with the largest paddy field areas in Bazhaowang and Caiyuan villages totaling 8,428 mu, and Gaolihé (Tuanjie Village) and Xiaoweishā River (Lazigou Village) accounting for 9,500 mu. Ji'an rice was known for its large, white grains, oily and fragrant cooked rice, especially that from Bazhaowang, which gained fame for its superior quality.

　　In the 1960s, the city experimented with and promoted rice frost-bed seedling cultivation and limited use of plastic film seedling techniques, replacing the older water-bed method. In the early 1970s, extensive use of plastic film moist seedbeds and seedling transplanting took place. By the late 1970s, practices included topdressing and dry plastic-film seedling cultivation. From 1980 to 1983, building on past effective methods, crop cultivation techniques advanced significantly, with cultivation standards notably improving. Dry plastic-film seedling cultivation was widely adopted across the county, covering 1,723.5 mu by 1982—63.7% of total seedling areas. The Ji'an County Agricultural Science and Technology Extension Station received national recognition from the State Science and Technology Commission and the State Agriculture Commission for outstanding achievements in promoting this technology.

　　Production Technical Requirements

　　(1) Origin Selection and Special Provisions: The production environment must comply with NY/T391-2000 "Technical Conditions for Green Food Production Environments." Soil types include loam and alluvial soils. Irrigation water must meet the GB5084-92 "Quality Standards for Farmland Irrigation Water." Ambient air quality should adhere to Grade I standards outlined in GB3059-82 "Ambient Air Quality Standards."

　　(2) Variety Selection and Specific Requirements: Varieties must be chosen based on principles of “suitable maturity period and strong stress resistance,” selecting high-quality rice varieties that are well-adapted to the city’s accumulated temperature and growth period conditions, possess good grain quality, strong stress resistance, high tillering ability, and purity levels above 98%.

　　(3) Production Process Management, Including Special Provisions for Agricultural Inputs: Fertilization should prioritize organic fertilizers, supplemented by chemical fertilizers. If chemical fertilizers are applied, they must be used in combination with organic fertilizers, maintaining an organic nitrogen to inorganic nitrogen ratio no greater than 1:1. The use of nitrate nitrogen fertilizers is prohibited.

　　(4) Product Harvesting and Post-Harvest Processing Regulations: Harvesting occurs 42–47 days after full heading, when yellowing and full maturity reach 90–95%. Harvesting is done manually or mechanically, with single-harvest and single-storage practices. Strict measures are taken to prevent varietal mixing during threshing. Threshing should occur on sunny days to reduce moisture and ensure purity, cleanliness, and overall commercial quality.

　　(5) Production Record Requirements: Detailed records must be maintained regarding production conditions, pest and disease occurrences, technical measures, pesticide and fertilizer usage.

　　Typical Quality Characteristics and Product Quality Safety Standards

　　(1) External Sensory Features: Xinkaihe Tribute Rice is characterized by large, brightly colored, glossy, uniformly sized grains with high hardness and whiteness. The cooked rice boasts an oily sheen and fragrant aroma.

　　(2) Internal Quality Indicators: Xinkaihe Tribute Rice is produced using top-tier domestic equipment and processes, refined through more than ten procedures including grain cleaning, impurity removal, stone elimination, layered milling, polishing, and color sorting. This product is rich in nutrients, preserving the majority of the rice’s nutritional components and avoiding significant losses of proteins, vitamins B1, B2, B6, and trace elements such as calcium, iron, and selenium. It features uniformly sized, translucent, glossy grains, a richly aromatic taste, strong elasticity, and excellent mouthfeel.

　　(3) Safety Requirements:

　　① Phosphides, hydrogen cyanide, nitrogenous fumes, and carbon disulfide must comply with GB/T5009.36 regulations.

　　② Dichlorvos, dimethoate, malathion, parathion, phorate, trichlorfon, and fenthion must adhere to GB/T5009.20 standards.

　　③ Lindane and DDT must follow GB/T5009.19 regulations.

　　④ Aflatoxin B1 must comply with GB/T5009.22 regulations.

　　⑤ Arsenic must adhere to GB/T5009.11 regulations.

　　④Aflatoxin B1 shall be tested in accordance with the relevant provisions of GB/T 5009.22.

　　⑤Arsenic shall be tested in accordance with the relevant provisions of GB/T 5009.11.

　　⑥Mercury shall comply with the provisions of GB/T 5009.17.

　　⑦Lead shall comply with the provisions of GB/T 5009.12.

　　⑧Cadmium shall comply with the provisions of GB 75009.15.

　　⑨Fluorine shall comply with the provisions of GB/T 5009.18.

　　⑩Bisultap shall comply with the provisions of GB 14929.5.

　　Packaging and labeling-related regulations

　　(1) Packaging: Packaging materials shall meet national food packaging hygiene requirements and also comply with environmental protection standards. The sales packaging of rice shall conform to the relevant provisions of GB/T 17109. All packaging materials shall be clean, hygienic, dry, non-toxic, odorless, and meet food hygiene requirements. All packaging must be secure and leak-proof.

　　(2) Labeling: Users of the mark shall uniformly use the agricultural product geographical indication on their products or packaging

　　(Xinkaihe Gongmi name and public identification pattern combined labeling format).

　　(3) Transportation: Finished product transport vehicles and tools must be clean, hygienic, dry, and free from other contaminants. During transportation, finished products must be covered to protect against rain and sunlight, and it is strictly prohibited to transport them together with toxic, harmful, or odorous items.

　　(4) Storage: Finished products shall not be stored in the open air. Finished product warehouses must be clean, dry, well-ventilated, and free from rodents and pests. Finished products must be stacked on pallets, at least 10 cm above the ground and 20 cm away from walls. Finished products shall not be stored in the same warehouse as toxic, harmful, spoiled, foul-smelling, or damp items.