The industrialization of Potato staple Food urgently needs Policy support

At the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that China will focus on promoting the development of potato staple grain, making it gradually become the fourth largest staple grain crop. It is estimated that more than 50% of potatoes will be consumed as staple food in 2020. As soon as this information came out, it was welcomed by the industry.

A few days ago, the reporter learned in the interview of the second Chinese Potato Farmers' Congress that some growers said they wanted to increase their planting area, and some processing enterprises and agricultural enterprises also carried out strategic layout one after another. But there are also some growers, processing enterprises and agricultural enterprises are still waiting to see. Participants are eager to introduce relevant policies to promote the sustained and healthy development of potato staple food products and industries. Everyone called on the state to introduce support policies in various aspects of the potato industry, such as subsidies for various links of the potato industry, purchase at a minimum protective price, post-natal collection and storage, and commercialization treatment.

The first is to provide fair and reasonable subsidies to all aspects of the potato industry. Yu Jinhai, chairman of the Yuwan Potato planting Professional Cooperative in Yunmeng County, Hubei Province, said that the cooperative has planted more than 10,000 mu of potatoes and has not received a subsidy for improved potato varieties, and if the state has subsidy policy support, the planting area will be further expanded. According to Zhang Xiaowei, senior business manager of Hohhot Huaou starch products Co., Ltd., the starch produced by the company is not only sold in the domestic market, but also sold abroad. As China has relatively few subsidies to the potato industry, there is no price competitive advantage in the international market. On the other hand, the subsidies to the potato industry in European countries are particularly large, and there are subsidies in all aspects of planting, processing, storage and sales. If China increases the subsidies to the potato industry, the industry will develop very quickly. Zhou Qingfeng, vice president of China starch Industry Association and president of China Potato starch Association, believes that there are current policies to support the potato industry, but they are not GSP. Support for the industry should be fair and reasonable, and it must be fully covered, open and transparent at the national level, otherwise it is easy to disturb the market. Li Jinfu, director of the Dingxi Potato Research Institute, also holds the same view.

The second is to purchase fresh potatoes at the lowest protection price. Yang Yinghui, director of the Technical Development and training Department of the quality Agricultural products Development and Service Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, believes that potatoes should be purchased at the same minimum protective price as other grains. Affected by the overall economic situation, high yield of potatoes and weather conditions and other factors, since the autumn of 2014, the price of potatoes in various parts of our country has remained low, and the price per jin once fell below 0.2 yuan. At present, from the point of view of the market situation, the price of potato producing areas still shows no signs of improvement, and the majority of potato farmers are facing losses, affecting the enthusiasm to continue planting. If there is a minimum protective price purchase policy like other grain, it can protect the enthusiasm of potato farmers.

The third is to support the collection and storage of fresh potatoes and their processed products. According to Yunting, chairman of Inner Mongolia Zhengfeng Potato seed Co., Ltd., fresh potatoes can be stored for up to eight months, while if storage conditions are right, whole potato flour can be stored for 30 years, and starch can be stored for 70 years. Longer than other grain, you can take it out when you need it. While processing and storage enterprises need a lot of capital costs for purchasing raw materials, storage and processing, the state should focus on supporting potato processing enterprises and issue storage policies for starch and whole flour like other grains to enhance the enthusiasm of processing enterprises. there is a market for such high-yielding potatoes, the processing industry develops steadily, and the market is stable, otherwise the market is prone to ups and downs.

The fourth is to make scientific and rational planning for seed potato and commercial potato production areas at the national level. Li Wengang, chief potato expert of the Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, believes that the state should increase support for post-natal commercialization of potatoes. In addition, many places which are not suitable for breeding seed potato are also breeding seed potato, which affects the quality of commercial potato. The country should carry on the planning in the macro strategy, integrate the resources of potato producing areas, and reasonably distribute the regional distribution of seed potatoes and commercial potatoes, so as to improve the product quality.

In short, the introduction of the potato grain strategy by the state is good news for the major potato producing provinces and industries, which should well guide this enthusiasm and formulate corresponding support policies for potatoes according to other food crops. If the market is allowed to adjust, the enthusiasm of the industry will soon fade, and the industry will not develop well, which is not conducive to the promotion of the main grain strategy.