High quality development research tour: Why is Wensu rice selling well in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou
"The rice will mature in about 20 days, and we have already sent purchasing personnel to the farmers' homes to 'grab' orders. Cao Peizhong, Deputy General Manager of the Rice Farm in Wensu County, Xinjiang, emphasized the need to 'grab', otherwise they will 'not be able to eat enough'.".
▲ Map of National Geographical Indication Agricultural Product Protection Areas for Rice in Wensu County. Photo by People's Daily reporter Zhang Yizhao
Wensu County is located at the south foot of Tomur Peak in the middle of the western Tianshan Mountains and at the northwest edge of the Tarim Basin. It has superior water, soil, light and heat resources, distinct seasons, and large temperature difference between day and night. The main rice production area is located in the selenium rich zone, rich in selenium elements. These favorable natural conditions make rice taste more sweet. Therefore, Wensu has the reputation of "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall, a land of fish and rice" and "China's rice town".
According to historical records, during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, rice cultivation began in Wensu, and during the Qing Dynasty, fragrant rice from Wensu was presented to the court as tribute. The aroma of Wensu rice is pure and rich, and it is praised as "blooming flowers all over the slope, and cooking at home is fragrant all around".
▲ Yueguang rice is a characteristic variety of Wensu County. Photo by People's Daily reporter Zhang Yizhao
In recent years, the local government has concentrated rice production in advantageous areas with selenium rich belts, good water source conditions, and relatively complete agricultural facilities. The rice planting area has been maintained at around 100000 mu annually, accounting for more than 70% of the total rice planting area in Aksu region, making it one of the three main rice planting areas in Xinjiang.
"The special varieties of 'Xindao 11' and 'Xindao 36' include 'Akita Komachi' and 'Yueguang', with a coverage rate of over 98% for good varieties and a mechanization rate of over 99%. Zhao Youwei, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Technology Promotion Center in Wensu County, is familiar with the local rice situation.".
Various types of rice produced in Wensu County. Photo by People's Daily reporter Bai Yang
![High quality development research tour: Why is Wensu rice selling well in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/d9c6c731e2a1d8a960a9dac6684818f1.jpg)
High quality rice has made Wensu even more famous. In 2018, "Wensu Rice" was certified as a geographical indication agricultural product by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; In 2020, it successfully applied for a national green rice raw material base of 100000 mu, and has now entered the acceptance period; In 2021, Tuohula Township in Wensu County successfully selected rice as one of the 11th batch of national "one village, one product" demonstration villages and towns.
At present, the local high-quality rice market has expanded to more than 700 shopping malls and supermarkets in Xinjiang, Beijing Tianjin Hebei, Jiangsu Zhejiang Shanghai, Fujian Guangdong and other regions, and the product supply is in short supply.
"The market has a high recognition of Wensu rice, and there are several influential local enterprise brands. Farmers' rice is not at all difficult to sell." Cao Peizhong said that they plan to purchase more than 30000 tons of rice from local farmers in order to meet the needs of selenium containing rice deep processing projects.
▲ Workers work in front of the fully automatic rice deep processing production line. Photo by Chen Xinhui, a journalist from People's Daily Online
It is reported that the project was invested and constructed in September 2021. Currently, the rice deep processing production line has entered production, with a daily output of 100 tons of high-quality rice and an annual output value of 125 million yuan.
The automated palletizing machine neatly stacks the packaged rice bags produced. Photo by People's Daily reporter Zhang Yizhao
Cleaning, impurity removal, screening, polishing, and packaging are all fully automated and integrated in the production workshop for deep processing of selenium containing rice, from the warehousing of raw materials to the packaging and stacking of finished products.
Zhao Youwei told reporters that the local government supports and encourages rice enterprises to actively participate in the construction of the entire rice industry chain, extending from "selling rice" to "selling rice bran, selling mash," and so on, achieving deep integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.
![High quality development research tour: Why is Wensu rice selling well in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/c5344a902a1f51bb7c22768b2bffbdde.jpg)
In addition, Wensu County plans to use green rice planting bases to create an "ice and snow amusement park" in winter, showcasing the development of an agricultural industry chain extension tourism project that involves planting rice in spring, summer, and autumn, and enjoying winter skating, in order to achieve characteristic advantageous industries that increase agricultural efficiency and farmers' income.
Reviewed and signed by: Jiang Yunlong