Farmer Yuan Jiangang in Tuoli Town Grows Chinese Yam and Cultivates a Path to Prosperity

On October 27, in the Chinese yam field of Yuan Jiangang, a villager of Kezilejiaer Village in Tuoli Town, Jinghe County, he and his hired workers were digging up Chinese yams.

Yuan Jiangang, 39 years old this year, has become a locally well-known skilled grower by planting Chinese yams. Three years ago, by chance, Yuan Jiangang heard that the price of Chinese yams was relatively high, so he investigated the local Chinese yam market and decided to grow Chinese yams.

In the first year of trial planting, Yuan Jiangang found that the sandy soil in the village was very suitable for growing Chinese yams, and each one could grow to more than 1 m long. This year, the 60 mu of Chinese yams planted by Yuan Jiangang had a total output of about 120 tons. "Our Chinese yams are mainly sold to Ili, where demand is relatively large, and supply falls short of demand." When talking about sales, Yuan Jiangang was not worried at all.

It is understood that this year the purchase price of Chinese yams in the market within Xinjiang was at least 5 yuan per kg. Yuan Jiangang's gross income from growing Chinese yams is expected to be about 600,000 yuan. After deducting costs, the net income can reach 240,000 yuan. Seeing the substantial economic returns from growing Chinese yams, many villagers in the same village came to seek his advice. Yuan Jiangang said he is willing to pass on his growing techniques to the surrounding fellow villagers without reservation.