Sihong Rice

Sihong Rice

Sihong Rice is a Geographical Indication Agricultural Product.

　　Sihong Rice is a unique agricultural product named after its geographic origin and has been certified as a National Geographical Indication Agricultural Product, with certification number: AG100220. Experts describe the quality of Sihong Rice as follows: “Grown on the western shore of Hongze Lake, Sihong Rice features neat appearance, transparent color, a fragrant aroma when cooked, and rice grains that are soft yet firm with a glossy finish, sweet and chewy with a tender texture. The rice congee is thick and smooth on the palate. Sihong Rice can truly be called a premium rice among all.”

　　I. A Unique Natural Ecological Environment Is the External Condition for Cultivating Sihong Rice

　　Sihong is located on the western shore of Hongze Lake — one of China’s five largest freshwater lakes — along the middle reaches of the Huai River. It falls within the East Asian Monsoon zone and serves as a transitional area between the northern subtropical and warm temperate zones. The region experiences distinct seasons, concentrated rainfall, simultaneous rain and heat, cold winters and hot summers, variable spring temperatures, and crisp autumns, with abundant sunlight and thermal resources. The average annual temperature is 14.6°C, the average annual precipitation is 893.9 mm, the total annual sunshine duration averages 2,326.7 hours, and the frost-free period lasts 213 days. These rich light and thermal resources are highly conducive to cultivating high-quality rice. The area is crisscrossed with rivers and boasts abundant water resources. Its unique and favorable ecological environment provides an excellent external setting for developing aquatic production. Sihong is recognized as a National Agricultural Ecology Demonstration County and a National Commodity Grain Production Base County. Staple crops include double-cropping of rice and wheat, supplemented by corn, soybeans, peanuts, and sweet potatoes. Among them, rice is cultivated on a perennial area of 750,000 mu, with a total output of nearly one billion jin (500 million kg). In recent years, with the gradual development of ecological agriculture, the county has successively established a 600,000-mu pollution-free agricultural product production base for rice and a 100,000-mu organic agricultural product production base. The county now has 107 pollution-free agricultural products, 22 green agricultural products, and 9 organic agricultural products, ranking among the top in the province in terms of the number of “three types of certification” (pollution-free, green, and organic).

　　Sihong not only has abundant water resources but also enjoys excellent water quality. Hongze Lake is vast and rich in aquatic plants, while the Huai River water is clear and smooth. The largest ecological wetland reserve in China is located in Sihong. This superior water resource environment ensures the production of rice and lays a solid foundation for producing high-quality Sihong Rice. Looking back in history, during the late Qing Dynasty, Sihong’s “Shangtang Tribute Rice” was already renowned throughout the country.

　　The soils in Sihong’s rice-growing areas are mostly sandy-loam and silt-loam formed from the Yellow-Huai alluvial deposits. The soil layers are deep, and the permeability is good, which is beneficial for the production of high-quality rice.

　　II. Selecting High-Quality Varieties and Building the Sihong Rice Brand Is the Pursuit of the People of Sihong

　　To accelerate the production of high-quality rice in Sihong, the county Party committee and government have carefully listened to the opinions and suggestions of the agricultural sector. Focusing on expanding the production scale of high-quality rice and increasing its yield, they have introduced a series of incentive policies to educate and guide farmers to plant high-quality rice varieties, adhering to the principle of using superior seeds to enhance quality and advanced methods to increase per-unit yield. Among the 750,000 mu of rice in the county, mid-season japonica rice accounts for 90%. The main varieties include Wuling Japonica No.1, Wuyu Japonica No.3, Wuyun Japonica No.21, and Huaidao No.5. Each township has established a 10,000-mu high-quality rice production base. This lays a solid foundation for steadily improving the county’s rice quality and building the Sihong Rice brand.

　　III. Scientific Field Management Provides Safety Assurance for Rice Consumers

　　With the rapid development of social economy, agricultural pollution issues have become increasingly prominent. Although Sihong, located in northern Jiangsu, experiences relatively light industrial pollution, pollution from agricultural inputs still occurs from time to time. To address this issue, the county Party committee and government, from the perspective of building an ecological Sihong, organized relevant departments such as agriculture, environmental protection, and industry & commerce to study countermeasures and formulate policies. In strict accordance with national regulations and requirements, they tightly control pollution from agricultural inputs. First, the use of highly toxic and high-residue pesticides in rice paddies is prohibited. From the perspective of improving soil fertility and structure, farmers are encouraged to apply more organic fertilizer, implement straw returning to fields, reduce chemical fertilizer usage, and adopt deep plowing and soil improvement measures to enhance the ecological environment of rice paddies and improve both rice yield and quality. Second, farmers are encouraged to engage in rice field aquaculture to boost economic returns. The county’s rice field integrated farming models include fish farming, crab farming, and duck farming in rice paddies. Currently, the area under integrated rice field farming has reached nearly 100,000 mu. This practice not only improves economic efficiency but also significantly enhances the ecological environment of rice paddies (as pesticides are rarely or minimally used).

　　IV. Advanced Processing Techniques and Exquisite Packaging Enhance Consumers’ Lifestyle

　　Sihong is a major agricultural county, leading the province in both rice production area and total output. Correspondingly, rice production and processing enterprises in the county also rank first in the province. More than half of the rice processing equipment in the county is imported Japanese Satake machinery. Seventy percent of the rice processing enterprises are equipped with secondary color sorting and polishing processes. The rice packaging is exquisite and comes in a variety of specifications, including gift box packaging, vacuum packaging, paper bag packaging, and woven plastic packaging. Brands such as Maihua and Mudun Island Sihong Rice have become well-known products in Jiangsu Province. Today, Sihong Rice is not only a staple food in people’s daily lives but also a popular gift for visiting relatives and friends, helping to strengthen relationships and elevate consumers’ lifestyle standards.

　　V. Strict Sihong Rice Production Processes Build the Sihong Rice Brand Image and Ensure Consumers Feel They Get Their Money’s Worth

　　Sihong Rice is uniformly managed and operated by the “Sihong Rice Association.” Members consist of enterprises or individuals involved in rice production and processing within Sihong County. All members must meet the following three conditions to sell Sihong Rice: first, they must have a high-quality rice production base; second, they must possess a green agricultural product or organic food certification; third, they must have supporting advanced processing equipment such as rice color sorters and polishers. In other words, all Sihong Rice currently sold on the market must be of high-quality rice varieties, with a minimum product grade of green food.

　　Sihong County is located in the western part of the North Jiangsu Plain, on the western shore of Hongze Lake and the lower reaches of the Huai River, between 117°56′–118°46′ east longitude and 33°08′–33°47′ north latitude. It borders Hongze County across Hongze Lake to the east; neighbors Sihuan County and Wuhe County of Anhui Province to the west; adjoins Xuyi County and Mingguang City to the south; and connects with Sucheng District and Siyang County to the north. The county stretches 73 km from north to south and 78 km from east to west. The Ning-Su-Xu Expressway runs through the entire territory, and with waterways such as Hongze Lake, the Huai River, and the Bian River, transportation is very convenient. The geographical indication protection area for the agricultural product “Sihong Rice” includes 23 townships and two provincial farms: Qingyang Town, Shuanggou Town, Fengshan Township, Sihe Township, Tianganghu Township, Shangtang Town, Weiying Town, Chemen Township, Yaogou Township, Meihua Town, Guiren Town, Jinshuo Town, Caomiao Township, Zhuhu Town, Jiejie Town, Taiping Town, Sunyuan Town, Chenwei Township, Bancheng Town, Linhuai Town, Chengtou Township, Shiji Township, Hongzehu Lake Farm of Jiangsu Province, and Wulijiang Farm.