Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Potato Industry

On February 24, 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Potato Industry.” The document calls for the industrial-scale development of potatoes as a staple food crop. By 2020, potato cultivation is to be expanded to over 100 million mu, with average yields increased to 1,300 kilograms per mu and total output reaching approximately 130 million tons. The adoption rate of high-quality virus-free seed potatoes is targeted at 45%, the proportion of varieties suitable for staple‑food processing will reach 30%, and staple‑food consumption will account for 30% of total potato consumption. Furthermore, integrated promotion of high‑quality, high‑yield, and efficient production technologies is planned, encompassing key practices such as simplified cultivation, water‑saving irrigation, fertigation, integrated pest and disease management, and mechanized production. These efforts aim to disseminate technology models that are high‑yielding, resource‑efficient, and environmentally friendly, thereby enhancing the level of agricultural science and technology and improving both quality and economic returns.

In the Northeast region, potato cultivation is expanded in accordance with local conditions, infrastructure is strengthened, full‑process mechanization is promoted, late blight prevention and control is enhanced, virus‑free seed potato production capacity is improved, and storage facilities are constructed. In North China, focusing on arid and semi‑arid areas as well as regions suffering from severe groundwater overexploitation, rainfed and water‑saving agriculture are developed, production conditions are improved, soil‑borne diseases are controlled, and the marketability of potatoes is increased. High‑quality virus‑free seed potato production bases and diversified storage facilities are established. In the Northwest, summer‑crop suppression and autumn‑crop expansion are employed to grow potatoes, dryland water‑saving agriculture is advanced, pest and disease management is reinforced, and high‑quality virus‑free seed potato production bases along with multi‑type storage facilities are built. In the Southwest, leveraging favorable ecological conditions, diverse cropping systems, and fallow fields during autumn, winter, and spring, water‑dry rotation, intercropping, and efficient mixed cropping are promoted; late blight control is strengthened to achieve year‑round production and supply. In the South, idle winter fields are utilized to develop water‑dry rotation and autumn‑winter agriculture, thereby expanding potato cultivation.