海南 Winter Vegetable Harvest Embraces Unique Wild Vegetables
In a bid to enhance the competitiveness and sustainable development of its winter vegetable industry, the Hainan Province Agricultural and Rural Affairs Department has recently issued the Guidelines for Adjusting the Structure of Hainan’s Winter Vegetable Planting (hereafter referred to as the Guidelines). Among the proposed changes, the document encourages the cultivation of specialty wild vegetables, such as Lei Gong笋 (闭鞘姜) and Tree仔菜 (守宫木), in addition to advocating for a balanced approach to crop variety.
According to journalist Wang Xiaobin, the Guidelines aim to stabilize the production of melons, increase the area dedicated to beans, reduce chili pepper cultivation, and expand the cultivation of aquatic vegetables. The objective is to achieve a well-balanced, scientifically arranged, and distinctive winter vegetable industry with efficient sales channels in the next three years, from 2024 to 2026. The target is to maintain a winter vegetable planting area of approximately 3 million mu (200,000 hectares) with an output exceeding 5 million tons.
Lei Gong笋, also known as闭鞘姜, is a unique, perennial herb native to Hainan,不同于the common bamboo shoots found in the market. Tree仔菜, or 守宫木, is a plant whose tender stems and leaves, when cooked, offer a crisp and fragrant taste. Thanks to the efforts of researchers, both of these wild vegetables have been domesticated for large-scale cultivation and have found their way onto many consumers’ plates.
As a major winter fruit and vegetable production base in China, Hainan benefits from its favorable light and temperature conditions. The Guidelines emphasize market demand as the guiding principle for the adjustments. The plan includes stabilizing the area for melon cultivation at around 1.53 million mu, maintaining the area for sweet and western melons at about 700,000 mu, increasing the area for beans by about 60,000 mu, and reducing chili pepper cultivation by 80,000 mu over the 2024-2026 period. The expansion of locally grown water celery and hollow vegetable cultivation, as well as the introduction of new crops like茭白, is also encouraged.
The Guidelines propose a four-tiered layout for Hainan’s winter vegetable industry:优势产业 (优势产业), 特色产业 (特色产业), 传统产业 (传统产业), and 新增产业 (新增产业). In the特色产业 category, the province plans to moderately expand the cultivation of four-cornered beans and okra, introduce globally-sourced vegetable varieties in cities like Haikou, Sanya, and Qionghai, and cultivate yellow lantern peppers in陵水 and万宁. The central and mountainous regions of五指山,琼中,白沙, and保亭 will focus on Lei Gong笋 and Tree仔菜.
In the新增产业 sector, the Guidelines suggest developing crops that cater to seasonal shortages in domestic markets. For instance, from January to March, when demand is high in eastern regions like Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Hainan’s northern or central areas will plant water vegetables like茭白, while the southern or southwestern regions will cultivate soybeans and peas. To fill the gap in fresh corn consumption in March and April, when national supply is limited, the乐东 region will focus on growing fresh corn.
The adjustments in Hainan’s winter vegetable industry not only showcase the province’s commitment to sustainable agriculture but also highlight its potential to diversify and meet the evolving demands of consumers both domestically and internationally. These initiatives underscore the importance of innovation and adaptability in ensuring the long-term viability and success of the agricultural sector.
Note: The original text in Chinese has been translated into English for this article. Some details may be lost in translation, but the overall meaning and content have been preserved.
【source】http://www.chinanews.com/cj/2024/08-26/10274940.shtml
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