Tianjin, September 7, 2024
On September 6, the 14th China International Potato Expo and the 2024 China Dingxi Potato Conference were held in Dingxi City, Gansu Province. Ma Tingli, Deputy Secretary and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People’s Congress, attended, and Lei Siwei, Vice Governor of Gansu Province, delivered a speech and announced the opening of the event. Ma Hongtao, Director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wang Shangxue, Secretary of the Dingxi Municipal Party Committee, Gonzalo Talavera, Minister and Deputy Chief of the Embassy of Peru in China, and Xie Jianmin, Director of the Asia-Pacific Center of the International Potato Center, delivered speeches. Peter Vander Sande, Chairman of the World Potato Congress, and Vania Azevedo, Head of the Gene Bank of the International Potato Center, delivered keynote reports. The opening ceremony was hosted by Li Hongtao, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Diplomats from relevant countries, representatives from international organizations, government officials from major potato-producing regions in China, and representatives from well-known domestic and international potato companies, industry associations, and experts were invited to attend.
Lei Siwei emphasized that the potato is a distinctive and advantageous crop in Gansu with the best production conditions, market foundation, and development potential. It is one of Gansu’s six major industries, and promoting the high-quality development of the potato industry is crucial for ensuring food security and increasing farmers’ incomes. In recent years, under the strong support and promotion of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Government, the potato industry has seen significant development, with planting areas and yields ranking third in the country, and the area and yield of seed potatoes ranking first in China. The province has established a comprehensive industrial chain that integrates breeding, production, processing, and sales, making the potato industry a model for high-quality modern agricultural development in the province. Gansu will continue to strengthen communication and practical cooperation with all parties, striving to modernize agriculture and rural areas, and promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in Longyuan.
Ma Hongtao stated that the Potato Expo aims to create an international platform for exchange and cooperation, showcasing innovations in the potato industry, discussing industry challenges and opportunities, and promoting the global prosperity of the potato sector. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of the potato industry and has implemented various policies and measures in recent years, highlighting the critical role of the potato in ensuring food security. The government has actively promoted seed industry innovation, processing enhancement, branding, and trade promotion, achieving remarkable results. China is willing to play an active role as a major producer and trader of potatoes, deepening cooperation with countries worldwide in areas such as mechanism building and trade development to jointly promote the high-quality development of the potato industry and contribute to enhancing global food security.
Wang Shangxue mentioned that Dingxi is at a crucial stage of policy integration, preparing for rapid development. The city hopes to take this event as an opportunity to share experiences and discuss cooperation with guests from home and abroad, continuously promoting the high-quality development of the potato industry, contributing to national food security, and improving people’s quality of life.
Gonzalo Talavera expressed that China and Peru are working together within the United Nations framework to enhance the global importance of potatoes. The relationship between the two countries will continue to thrive, contributing more to global well-being in the future.
Xie Jianmin highlighted that in recent years, the rapid development of potatoes in Asia and Africa has profoundly changed the global potato production landscape. The responsibility for addressing food security and poverty in the global South will continue to rest on the potato, making the timing and significance of the Potato Expo and Potato Conference crucial.
At the opening ceremony, Wu Heqian, Deputy Secretary of the Dingxi Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of the Dingxi Municipal Government, promoted Dingxi’s potato industry. Shi Ying, Secretary-General of the Potato Committee of the Chinese Crop Society, released the “2023 Potato Industry Blue Book.” The Asia-Pacific Center of the International Potato Center awarded the Dingxi Potato Research Institute the title of “Asia-Pacific Center (China) Gansu Workstation.” A total of 93 projects and procurement agreements were signed on-site, amounting to 12.365 billion yuan.
The theme of this year’s Potato Expo is “Building a New Highland for the Potato Industry, Shaping a New International Brand.” The expo features five major exhibition areas: seed potato demonstration, processed products, agricultural machinery and equipment, plant protection supplies, and science and culture. It comprehensively showcases domestic and international potato, sweet potato, cassava, and other tuber products, as well as related products, technologies, and equipment across the entire industry chain. More than 200 companies from 20 major potato-producing provinces in China, as well as from the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, and other countries, participated. Concurrently, the National Cultural Revitalization Tour in Dingxi, procurement matching, investment promotion, expert discussions, and field visits were held.
