Potatoes fatten villagers’ wallets

More than 50 mu (about 3.33 hectares) of red potatoes have entered the harvest period at the planting base in Shiziqiao Village, Huayuan County, and villagers were busy sorting, bagging and transporting them on June 16. “Due to favorable weather, the potatoes grow well this year. The average yield per mu (about 0.067 hectares) can reach over 2,000 kilograms, with an output value of about 4,000 yuan. All the potatoes have been purchased by customers from Changsha,” said a grower in Shiziqiao Village.

“After nearly half a year of intensive cultivation, potatoes are now entering the summer harvesting period. 10 to 20 workers are needed to harvest them every day. A good potato harvest can not only promote the economic development of the village, but also offer more job opportunities for villagers,” said Peng Hualin, Party secretary of the village. Shiziqiao Village has adjusted the industrial structure according to local conditions, promoted the innovative development of characteristic agricultural industries and guided villagers to plant potatoes in a large scale, making “small potatoes” a big industry for rural revitalization.

With a good climate and soil environment in Shiziqiao Village, the potatoes produced here are large, thin-skinned and tender and are highly favored in the market.
Shiziqiao Village has worked to promote land transfer to boost the collective economic income. It will tailor its planting technology training, control diseases and pests of crops, and coordinate the production and sales of agricultural products based on local conditions to fatten villagers’ wallets.