Special variety of yam spurs sales trend

A great harvest of yams is piled together. [Photo by Wang Runkai for chinadaily.com.cn]

In the Rangu town, situated in the Dingtao district of Heze city in Shandong province, the cultivation of specialty yam has emerged as a catalyst for economic development, contributing to a rise in residents' incomes.

Wangdian village in Rangu town has a remarkable variety of yam, commonly known as "Jiujinhuang" which has recently been well-received in the market.

The "Jiujinhuang" variety is sweet and glutinous in taste, suitable for making soups and stir-frying. The characteristic of this variety lies in its enormous size, with a single yam reaching up to about 1.5 meters long and weighing up to 7.5 kilograms.

"The highest price for this kind of yam can reach more than 8 yuan ($1.1) per kilogram, and the profit per mu (0.06 hectares) could be more than 30,000 yuan," said Wang Zhongyu, Party branch secretary of Wangdian village. 

Wang added that the village is preparing to expand the cultivation area of this yam further. Letting more people taste this special yam is also expected to bring economic benefits and promote local economic development. (Edited by Huang Junyao)