The new variety of Xiangsha taro, Jingjiang Taro One, of Jingjiang, a county-level city in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, has yielded a bountiful harvest recently.
Due to its good taste, long shelf life, and high yield, the first batch of Jingjiang Taro One was favored by consumers as soon as they were launched on the market around the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept 17.
The Jingjiang Xiangsha taro is often called the "chestnut of taro" and holds the distinction of being a designated national geographical indication product in China.
However, the extended use of locally preserved seeds for asexual propagation among farmers has resulted in a significant decrease in both yield and quality.
At the end of 2022, the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences jointly established the Xiangsha taro industry research institute with Shengci town, Jingjiang, utilizing science and technology to improve the quality of taros and promote the development of the Xiangsha taro industry.
To enhance the added value and market competitiveness of the Xiangsha taro, Zhu Rongqi, director of the management office of the Jingjiang modern agricultural industrial park, invited professional designers to design a gift package for the Jingjiang Taro One, which includes promotional elements for local cultural and tourism.
Jingjiang has been advancing high-quality rural revitalization across the entire region in recent years. The city established an area integrating agricultural, cultural, and tourism, using the Xiangsha taro industry to drive local rural tourism.
This area involves 27 villages, connecting multiple rural attractions in Jingjiang and promoting the integration of its taro industry with the cultural tourism industry.