Bayan Soybeans

Bayan Soybeans

Bayan soybeans are a Geographical Indication certification trademark.

Bayan soybeans are a Geographical Indication agricultural product.

　　Bayan soybeans feature plump, yellow, round grains with diameters ranging between 4-9mm. Their surface is clean and smooth. Renowned worldwide for their high oil and protein content, Bayan soybeans primarily consist of high-oil and high-protein varieties, with standardized production ensuring their premium quality. Bayan soybeans are a Geographical Indication agricultural product.

　　Bayan County lies within one of the world’s three major black soil zones—the Northeastern Black Soil region of Asia—and enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate, making it highly suitable for soybean cultivation. The area benefits from exceptional natural advantages in climate, soil, and sunlight. The black soil in Bayan contains a well-balanced mix of elements essential for soybean growth, complemented by moderate natural rainfall, all of which contribute to the unique quality of Bayan soybeans.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Production Area: The specific geographical location designated for Bayan soybeans as a GI agricultural product covers an area of 3,135.2 square kilometers within Bayan County, established as the protected production zone for this GI product. Cultivated land spanning 226,700 hectares has been designated for the production of Bayan soybeans. In 2007, 120,000 hectares were planted, yielding an annual total output of 250,000 tons.

　　Location: Bayan County is situated in the central-southern part of Heilongjiang Province, on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the Songnen Plain and the Songhua River. Its precise coordinates are longitude 126°45′53″ to 127°42′16″ and latitude 45°54′28″ to 46°40′18″. To the south, it faces Bin County across the river; to the west, it borders Hulan via the Piao River; to the north, it neighbors Suihua and Qing’an across the Ni River; and to the east, it adjoins Mulan via the Huangni River and Luotuolazi Mountain. The county stretches 85 kilometers from north to south, 72.4 kilometers from east to west, with a perimeter of 338 kilometers. The county seat is 98 kilometers from Harbin.

　　Administrative Area: The county comprises 18 townships. The protected GI area for Bayan soybeans spans all 18 administrative townships within Bayan County: Bayan Town, Songhua River Township, Fujiang Township, Bayan Port Town, Xiji Town, Fengle Township, Xinglong Town, Hongguang Township, Wanfa Town, Dexiang Township, Tianzeng Town, Shanhou Township, Heishan Town, Longquan Town, Huashan Township, Longmiao Town, Waxing Town, and Zhendong Township. This includes 10 small towns (two officially designated), 116 villages (including three autonomous villages for ethnic minorities), 1,351 natural hamlets, 4 state-owned forest farms, 2 state-owned seed farms, and 1 state-owned livestock farm.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: 1. Land Resource Characteristics. The area features nine soil types, 19 subtypes, 32 soil genera, and a total of 62 soil classifications. These include dark brown soil, albic soil, black soil, meadow soil, flood soil, swamp soil, peat soil, paddy soil, and sandy soil. Covering a total area of 3,135.2 square kilometers (313,300 hectares), the county has 226,700 hectares of cultivated land, over 90% of which consists of fertile soils such as black soil, black calcareous soil, and meadow soil. The humus layer ranges from 20–70 cm thick, with soil organic matter at 3.72%, nitrogen at 0.168%, phosphorus at 0.99%, potassium at 1.80%, and a neutral pH of 6.7. The terrain is higher in the east and lower in the west, flat in the south and hilly in the north with numerous undulations in the central area—sloped farmland accounts for 62% of cultivated land. The landform is wedge-shaped, with the highest elevation at 564.3 meters and the lowest at 110 meters.

　　(2) Hydrology: Water Resources. Bayan County has 14 major rivers with a combined length of 475.7 kilometers. The county’s groundwater reserves total 6.5 billion cubic meters, with an average annual supply of 397 million cubic meters and an allowable extraction volume of 222.4 million cubic meters. Total water resources amount to 573 million cubic meters, equating to 869 cubic meters per capita and 212 cubic meters per mu. This includes details on river systems, water sources, water quality, and influencing factors.

　　(3) Climate: Located at mid-to-high latitudes, Bayan County experiences a mid-temperate continental monsoon climate. Summers are dominated by southeast winds, bringing humidity and abundant rain, while winters bring dry, frigid northwest winds. The annual average temperature is 3.1°C, with recorded highs of 37.9°C and lows of -42.5°C. The annual accumulated temperature above 10°C is 2,658.4°C, average annual precipitation is 582.2 mm, and average annual sunshine is 2,669.4 hours. From May to September—the main growing season—sunshine totals 1,252 hours, accounting for 46.9% of the annual total. The average first frost date is September 21, with an average frost-free period of 131 days. The annual freezing period lasts about 145 days. This includes key climatic factors such as monsoons, temperature, humidity, sunlight, and precipitation.

　　(4) Humanistic and Historical Background: The history of human habitation in Bayan County dates back to 211 BC during the Qin Dynasty, when it was part of the territory of the Sui and Bai tribes—ethnic minorities in Northeast China formed from the fusion of the Sui and Bai peoples, who primarily engaged in fishing, hunting, and some agriculture. Before the establishment of formal governance, the area was densely forested with lush grasslands and fertile soil, essentially untouched land. Due to restrictions (the Qing Dynasty sealed off the Northeast as its “dragon rising” territory), only a few Bannermen engaged in farming and scattered Han settlers tilled patches of land, fished, and lived simple agrarian lives. In 1859, during the ninth year of the Xianfeng Emperor’s reign, the Northeast was opened up, and land was made available for cultivation. Subsequently, a large influx of Han migrants from inland China arrived. As the population grew, the Qing government established the Hulan Office east of Hulan City in the first year of the Tongzhi Emperor’s reign (1862)...

　　...to administer areas including Bayan Susu, managing taxation, criminal justice, and relations between Bannermen and civilians. In the 30th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (1904), the Hulan Office was split into two locations—one in Hulan and the other upgraded to the Hulan Prefecture (relocated to Hulan City), with the original office becoming Bayan Zhou. In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), Bayan Zhou was renamed Bayan County.

　　The History of Bayan Soybeans. Bayan County has a long history of agricultural production. According to the *Bayan Soil Records*, “Bayan Susu, during the Zhou and Qin periods, was inhabited by the Sushen people, later by the Fuyu and Wuji, and during the Liao and Jin dynasties by the Jurchen tribes. Hoe blades unearthed in the Shaoling River area prove that agriculture was already practiced during the Jin Dynasty. After the Qing lifting of the ban, with the influx of migrants, cultivated areas gradually expanded, and in the 11th year of the Xianfeng Emperor’s reign (1861), large-scale land reclamation began in Bayan Susu.” The *Bayan Annals* state that the county’s main crops included soybeans, millet, wheat, sorghum, corn, and barley.

　　Bayan County has long been known as the “Home of Soybeans,” with a long history of cultivation, wide distribution, and consistently leading the province in planting area, yield, commercial volume, and export volume. At the 1957 World Expo held in Indonesia, Bayan County’s soybeans earned international acclaim.

　　Humanistic Driving Factors: Bayan County is home to China’s wild soybean gene bank. It is the country’s only protected origin area for wild soybeans, covering a 2,000-mu reserve. It is also a base for non-GMO soybeans and green food soybean raw materials. Bayan County has had 100,000 tons of non-GMO soybeans certified by France’s Gene Times, and it is recognized as a national green food soybean raw material production base county, with 500,000 mu (100,000 tons) of certified green food soybean bases. Additionally, it is a national non-polluted soybean base county, with 700,000 mu (140,000 tons) of certified non-polluted soybeans.

　　Unique Cultural Heritage: Bayan County is a national soybean production demonstration county, showcasing 600,000 mu annually. In the early stages of reform and opening up, the county’s soybeans were favored by domestic and international buyers for their superior quality and competitive pricing. From 1980 to 1990, large quantities were exported to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with annual exports exceeding 30,000 tons. After 1991, as domestic processing industries developed and China shifted from a soybean exporter to an importer, restrictions were placed on soybean exports as a key agricultural resource. However, until 1995, a South Korean buyer still established a dedicated supply base in Tianzeng Town, covering 30,000 mu with an output of 5,000 tons. Foreign buyers reported that tests showed Bayan soybeans contained more than twice the isoflavones of American soybeans—over 3%.

　　Production Technical Requirements

　　(1) Origin Selection and Special Provisions: Bayan soybeans are produced in Bayan County because

　　Bayan County lies within one of the world’s three major black soil zones—the Northeastern Black Soil region of Asia—and enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate, making it highly suitable for soybean cultivation. The area benefits from exceptional natural advantages in climate, soil, and sunlight. The black soil in Bayan contains a well-balanced mix of elements essential for soybean growth, complemented by moderate natural rainfall, all of which contribute to the unique quality of Bayan soybeans.

　　(2) Variety Selection and Specific Requirements: Bayan soybeans are renowned worldwide for their high oil and protein content, primarily consisting of high-oil and high-protein varieties, with standardized production ensuring their premium quality.

　　(3) Production Process Management: Bayan soybean producers adhere to the *Bayan Soybean Production Technical Operation Procedures*, enforcing strict quality standards for pesticides and fertilizers used during production. Toxic or harmful inputs are strictly prohibited to ensure safe soybean production. Quality inspections are conducted regularly, and the use of agricultural chemicals by farmers is regulated. In line with non-polluted agricultural production and the development of the national million-mu green food base, the county has institutionalized regulations for environmental management, input use, market access, and quality technical services across all agricultural production bases. Bayan soybean product inspection standards have been established and are rigorously enforced.

　　(4) Product Harvesting and Post-Harvest Processing Regulations: Bayan soybeans are harvested separately by variety and stored, processed, and sold according to grade and variety. Sales records are maintained, and a traceability system is implemented.

　　(5) Production Record Requirements: Input usage is logged during production, with farmers assigned unified codes. Sold soybeans are traced by these codes. Processing enterprises manage acquisitions through registration, storing and processing soybeans according to farmer codes.

　　Product Typical Quality Characteristics and Quality Safety Standards

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: Bayan soybeans feature plump, yellow, round grains with diameters ranging between 4-9mm. Their surface is clean and smooth.

　　(2) Internal quality indicators: Bayan soybeans have high fat and protein content and are non-GMO products. They are rich in nutrients, with total amino acids exceeding 30%, including more than 7% glutamic acid. They also contain a wealth of essential vitamins for the human body, soybean functional factors, as well as abundant trace elements beneficial to health such as iodine, selenium, iron, calcium, and zinc. Among these, important elements like selenium and zinc are present in higher amounts—selenium at 0.01 Mg/kg and zinc at over 25 Mg/kg. The levels of harmful heavy metal elements are significantly lower than the limit values set by the pollution-free soybean standards. When tested according to pollution-free criteria, three out of four chemical pesticide residue indicators in Bayan soybeans were not detected, indicating that agricultural products from Northeast China, due to well-controlled use of chemical inputs, have extremely low chemical residues and are safe.

　　Contains a variety of vitamins, soy functional factors, as well as abundant trace elements beneficial to the human body such as iodine, selenium, iron, calcium, and zinc.

　　Among them, important elements such as selenium and zinc are present in higher amounts, with selenium at over 0.01 Mg/kg and zinc at over 25 Mg/kg. The levels of harmful heavy metal elements are significantly lower than the limit values set by the pollution-free soybean standards. Bayan soybeans, when tested for pollution-free compliance, showed that three out of four chemical pesticide residue indicators were not detected, indicating that due to good control over the use of chemical inputs, the residual chemicals in agricultural products from Northeast China are extremely low, making the produce safe.

　　(3) Safety requirements: Bayan soybeans are produced under pollution-free practices and are certified as pollution-free and green food products. The Bayan County Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Association has established quality standards for soybeans that are higher than the national green food standards, and these standards are strictly enforced.

　　Packaging, labeling, and related regulations

　　(1) Packaging: Bayan soybeans are packaged in plastic bags in sizes of 1 kg, 2 kg, 5 kg, 250 kg, and 90 kg.

　　(2) Labeling: Users of the label must uniformly apply the agricultural product geographical indication (a combined labeling format of the Bayan soybean name and the public identification graphic) on their products or packaging.

　　(3) Storage and transportation: Products are stored separately by grade and variety, and transported using dedicated tools.