After the spring rains in Cheng County, Gansu Province, the damp lowlands along the West Han River come alive with agricultural activity: freshly planted potatoes are sprouting from the ground. In the winter potato greenhouses of Jiangli Village, Tanhe Township, farmers carefully weed and tend to the dense, vibrant seedlings, fertilized with organic fertilizer. After the rains, soil moisture is optimal, and the rural area is bustling with activity: farmers use cultivators and hoes to loosen the soil, remove debris, and apply fertilizer. The Xinyujiang Farmers’ Cooperative in Tanhe Village planted 20 square meters of potatoes, and the Cangshiba Village Party branch added another 35 square meters along the riverbank. To date, 500 square meters of potatoes have been fully planted in Tanhe Township alone; the seedlings are growing well and awaiting the autumn harvest. “The technicians trained us step by step, and the materials were delivered directly to the fields. This year’s potato harvest will undoubtedly be very fruitful,” said a local farmer, beaming with anticipation.
Potatoes—low-maintenance, easy to grow, and reliable—are considered a “core crop” for food security in Cheng County. In 2026, the county will focus on improving the potato industry by establishing over 3,000 square meters of standardized demonstration sites for winter potato cultivation in eight cities along the river valley, including Tanhe, Suochi, Hongchuan, and Diancun. The “elite seeds + best practices” approach facilitates large-scale, standardized cultivation. Agricultural technicians were deployed to provide practical training, from seed selection to field management, and the government provided subsidies of 350-400 yuan per mu to encourage the planting of early-maturing, high-yielding varieties such as Zaodabai and Favorite. As a result, the entire planned 8,000 square meters (unit area) in 17 villages were successfully planted—a significant increase compared to previous years. Potatoes now cover both large cooperative fields and small household plots, fulfilling the goal of “planting wherever possible.” Cheng County continues to strengthen its potato industry across the entire chain—planting, processing, and marketing—turning this “underground golden bean” into both a pillar of food security and a source of prosperity for rural revitalization.
