China: Wuchuan County in Inner Mongolia Harvests 500,000 Mu of Potatoes, Yields Seen Above 37 t/ha
The county near Hohhot expects a bumper crop in 2026, with harvesters and migrant workers in the fields. Small tubers go to starch plants, and part of the crop is exported to Central Asia.
The potato harvest is in full swing in Wuchuan County in Inner Mongolia, northern China. The county planted about 500,000 mu of potatoes in 2026. This is about 33,300 hectares. The regional newspaper Inner Mongolia Daily reported the figures on 27 September.
The average yield is expected to exceed 5,000 jin per mu, according to the newspaper. This equals about 2.5 tonnes per mu, or about 37.5 tonnes per hectare. The newspaper described 2026 as a year of a bumper harvest. It said both yield and quality improved.
Wuchuan lies on the northern slopes of the Yin Mountains near Hohhot. The cool climate suits potatoes. Wuchuan potatoes are a Chinese product with protected geographical indication status.
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Machines and migrant workers
Large harvesters work in the fields, while farmers sort tubers by hand. The state news agency Xinhua photographed the harvest in Sanshengtai village on 23 September. Migrant workers from Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces came to the county to help with the harvest, the agency said. Small tubers go to processing plants that make starch.
Processing and exports
The county is building a processing chain around the crop. In June, the regional news portal Inner Mongolia News reported four production lines for potato starch and potato flour in the county. One local grower planted 5,000 mu of varieties for the fry maker McCain this year. It also signed contracts for nearly 10,000 mu of processing potatoes. A line for 100,000 tonnes of liquid organic fertiliser from potato fermentation is planned. Local potatoes are also exported to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries, the portal said.
Why it matters
Inner Mongolia is one of the main potato regions of China and a base for fry and starch processing. A large crop in Wuchuan adds to the supply of potatoes in northern China this autumn. This may keep pressure on prices in the domestic market.
Central Asian importers also buy potatoes from northern China. A good harvest in Wuchuan may increase the volumes offered for export this winter. The area and yield figures are local estimates and have not been confirmed by official statistics.
Photo: A two-row potato windrower in a field in Inner Mongolia, China (illustrative). Grimme Group / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
