The potato, known as "foreign yam" in Chinese, was once planted in China as a life-saving food to survive famines.
But as China moves towards being the center of potato production in Asia, the humble potato is now bringing wealth to some in western China who have been living in poverty.
Chen Chunlan, a potato farmer in Dingxi in northwest China's Gansu Province credits her potato fields for her improved standard of living -- they provide her with an annual income of 70,000 yuan (10,400 U.S. dollars).
Dingxi, with its cold and arid climate and hence low agricultural yield, has long been listed as one of China's poorest regions.
In 1995, a severe drought hit Dingxi, and almost everything in the fields withered. But to the locals' surprise, the potatoes survived the catastrophe.
"Potatoes are amazingly drought-resistant and can acclimatize well to Dingxi's agricultural conditions," explained Wang Yihang, the provincial potato expert.
Next year, the Dingxi government will launch the "Potato Project" to popularize the cultivation of potatoes to guarantee basic food supply.
Dingxi grows more potatoes than any other city in China, boasting over 200,000 hectares of potato fields, or one third of the city's arable land.
But as China moves towards being the center of potato production in Asia, the humble potato is now bringing wealth to some in western China who have been living in poverty.
Chen Chunlan, a potato farmer in Dingxi in northwest China's Gansu Province credits her potato fields for her improved standard of living -- they provide her with an annual income of 70,000 yuan (10,400 U.S. dollars).
Dingxi, with its cold and arid climate and hence low agricultural yield, has long been listed as one of China's poorest regions.
In 1995, a severe drought hit Dingxi, and almost everything in the fields withered. But to the locals' surprise, the potatoes survived the catastrophe.
"Potatoes are amazingly drought-resistant and can acclimatize well to Dingxi's agricultural conditions," explained Wang Yihang, the provincial potato expert.
Next year, the Dingxi government will launch the "Potato Project" to popularize the cultivation of potatoes to guarantee basic food supply.
Dingxi grows more potatoes than any other city in China, boasting over 200,000 hectares of potato fields, or one third of the city's arable land.
