Dehong, Yunnan: Winter potato sector shows strong momentum in 2016 (photo)
After investigation, research and discussion, the National and Provincial Modern Potato System of the Dehong Prefecture Agricultural Technology Extension Center put forward the report "Analysis of Winter Potato Production in Dehong Prefecture in 2015 and Recommendations for Development Trends in 2016". The report shows that the development trend of winter potatoes in Dehong in 2016 is good.
In 2015, the area of the winter potato industry in Dehong further expanded and output increased; the commodity output value also rose considerably, while output value per unit area declined somewhat; the problem of a single variety was somewhat improved, and the coverage rate of the main promoted superior varieties increased; production technology was further standardized along with small-scale mechanization; the impact of low-temperature disaster weather in some areas intensified from time to time; market prices fluctuated greatly, and sales of processing potatoes were sluggish, among other things.
According to analysis, in 2016 the whole prefecture plans to plant 180,000 mu of winter potatoes, with the area basically stable, a decrease of 0.24 million mu compared with the previous year, but output will increase somewhat; the area of special processing varieties and white-skinned, white-fleshed fresh-eating varieties will increase somewhat; based on analysis of the cobweb effect formed by market fluctuations and the factor of reduced potato production in northern China this year due to drought, the price of commercial winter potatoes in Dehong Prefecture in 2016 is expected to rise, and the market prospects are promising.
It is reported that the whole prefecture plans to build 8 relatively large agricultural product trading markets in the main potato-producing areas, including Xuangang and Fengping in Mangshi, Hexi in Lianghe County, Jiucheng, Xincheng, Taiping and Nongzhang in Yingjiang County, and Chengzi and Jinghan in Longchuan, and to improve the construction of online trading information and trading platforms as well as transportation and storage facilities within the markets, so as to safeguard the development of the industry.