Revitalizing Industry with Bumper Potato Harvest in Linshu

LINSHU, China, July 12, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

Recently, over 10 potato harvesters were seen shuttling in the fields at the Jinleke Potato Planting Base in Zhengshan Street, Linshu County, Linyi City, Shandong Province. Accompanied by the rumbling of machinery, plump, bright-colored, evenly sized potatoes continuously rolled out of the ground, covering the ridges and field margins. Nearly 100 workers deftly sorted, bagged, and packaged the potatoes. The packaged potatoes were sold well in an order-based manner to cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, presenting promising prospect for “potatoes” on the road to prosperity.

Image: Potato harvest scene

“We have employed world-class high-ridge planting technology as well as digital equipment for fertilization and water-saving operations, and implemented integrated scientific management of water and fertilizer. Through high-density planting with single rows on each ridge, we plant around 5,000 to 6,000 plants per mu, with a yield of approximately 5,000 yuan per mu,” introduced Dou Jinbao, chairman of Jinleke Planting Professional Cooperative in Linshu County. By utilizing modern efficient agricultural technology, potato yield and quality have been effectively enhanced to attain the goals of high yield and quality and move forward the large-scale, standardized and branded development of characteristic agricultural industries.

A bountiful harvest brings the greatest joy to farmers. Linshu County has been vigorously promoting the potato planting industry. Under the development model of “village collective + cooperative + farmers,” Jinleke Planting Professional Cooperative has joined hands with the cooperatives led by the Party branches of several surrounding villages to transfer over 10,000 mu of land in Zhengshan Street for potato planting. So far, it has emerged as one of the potato planting bases of PepsiCo Food (China) Co., Ltd., a Fortune 500 company. The potato industry in Linshu has made a remarkable leap from the “field” to the “factory.”

In recent years, Linshu County has actively guided farmers to optimize planting structures for potato planting, and continuously enhanced the introduction of new varieties and the application of new technologies to greatly facilitate the scientific planting of potatoes and broaden the channels for farmers to increase income. This has enabled farmers to achieve income from land transfer, potato sales, and local employment. Besides potato chips processing, Linshu County has brought potato sticks, potato flour, compound beverages, and high-quality wine made from potatoes into the market, reaping considerable economic benefits.