Potato staple food industrialization gradually approaching

Nowadays, various elements of agricultural resources are very tight, and residents have higher and higher requirements for improving the nutritional structure of staple foods. It is the right time for China to promote the development of potato industry.

Potato is the main food with rich nutrition and easy to eat, and it has become the fourth largest food crop in the world after rice, wheat and corn. In recent years, potato production in China has developed continuously and steadily. In 2014, the planting area reached 5.57 million hectares, and the fresh potato output was more than 95 million tons, accounting for about 1/4 of the world's area and output. China has become the largest country in potato production and consumption.

At the international seminar on the development of potato staple food products and industries held a few days ago, many government officials and experts said that it was high time to promote the development of potato staple food products and industries.

The important choice of agricultural transformation mode

China's grain production achieved "eleven consecutive increases" last year, but from the perspective of development, the demand for grain will continue to increase. At the same time, due to the narrowing of resource bottlenecks, increased environmental pressure and reduced planting efficiency, it is more difficult for rations varieties such as wheat and rice to continue to increase production.

China is a country with a large population, little land and water shortage. the per capita cultivated land and fresh water resources are only 40% and 25% of the world average, respectively. Potatoes are very suitable for growing in developing countries with limited land and abundant labor. Yu Xinrong, vice minister of agriculture, said, "compared with wheat and rice, potatoes are cold-tolerant, drought-tolerant and barren-tolerant. They are distributed in China from south to north, from high altitude to low altitude, and are planted all the year round in spring, summer, autumn and winter." especially in the south, there is a lot of room for the development of winter fallow fields to develop potatoes. "

"in areas where the annual precipitation is only about 350 mm, it is difficult for cereal crops to grow and develop, while potatoes can not only grow normally, but also reduce soil erosion." Qu Dongyu, vice minister of agriculture, said. In the arid and semi-arid areas of North and Northwest China, potato has become an important pillar crop to shake off poverty and become rich.

Help to improve the dietary structure

At present, the consumption of residents in China has entered a new stage, the lives of urban and rural residents are more affluent, they pay more and more attention to nutrition and health, and the desire to improve the nutritional structure of food is becoming more and more urgent. Actively promote the development of potato staple food products and industries, and provide residents with potato steamed bread, noodles and other staple food products suitable for eating habits, is an important measure to improve the nutritional and health level of residents.

Last year, China issued the outline of China's Food and Nutrition Development (2014-2020), widely publicizing the nutritional value of potatoes and guiding residents' healthy consumption.

Wang Xiaohu, director of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, told reporters that at present, the nutritional structure of staple food products in China, represented by noodle system and rice system, are similar, incomplete, and high in calorie. Some consumers even periodically do not eat staple food or eat a very small amount of staple food, disrupting the normal diet. Because of its low calorie and comprehensive nutrition, potato can adapt to the new demand and expectation of staple food consumption of modern residents.

The conditions for the development of industrialization have been met.

According to Dai Xiaofeng, director of the Agricultural products processing Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in recent years, China's potato staple food products and industrial development team carried out research on variety selection, formula and technology, quality formation mechanism and comprehensive evaluation of nutrients, and successfully realized the industrial production demonstration of potato steamed bread and noodles. It has opened up a broad prospect for the popularization and application of potato staple food processing technology and equipment.

Yu Xinrong pointed out that to promote the industrialization of potato staple food products, we should first strengthen the top-level design and do a good job in planning and guidance. It is necessary to guide all localities to promote the development of potato staple food products and industries in an orderly manner, strengthen the overall layout, and do a good job of echelon promotion. According to the level of regional economic development, product consumption market and demonstration driving effect, we choose to focus on promoting cities, taking them as the core to drive the processing and consumption of potato staple food in the region, and build a pattern of echelon promotion and market expansion.

The reporter learned that Yanqing County in Beijing has become the largest seed potato research and development base in China, with an annual output of 150 million miniature potatoes. In addition, Yanqing County and Zhangjiakou City in Hebei Province will also sign a strategic cooperation framework agreement on potato industry to cooperate in potato variety breeding and promotion, high yield and high efficiency demonstration, and jointly build science and technology parks and industrial bases.