The popularity of black potatoes has been growing in the Chinese market for years. The black potato is a relative latecomer compared to other potato varieties in the Chinese market. A lot more promotional work is necessary before the Chinese consumer will understand this potato variety. This potato has the potential for greater recognition because the flavor is excellent and fits very well with the general taste of Chinese consumers. The majority of Chinese consumers prefer relatively sweet varieties.
The Chinese potato industry has seen continuous development in recent years. As a result, there has been a lot of research and development, and investment in new potato varieties.
He Tao of Tianshan Sibao began planting black potatoes last year and he recently shared his view on the market conditions of this potato variety: "We first heard about this potato variety when we visited Peru. The black potato is rarely seen in the Chinese market because this variety is still very new. We began with experimental plantation on a field of 13 hectares in 2019. The overall product quality was quite good. Our potatoes are organic. The outside of this potato variety is black, but the inside is purple. This unique characteristic already successfully attracted the attention of Chinese consumers. We plan to devote a field of more than 67 hectares to the plantation of black potatoes this year. The production volume per 0.07 hectare is around 2-3 tons."
The black potato variety is most suitable for highland environments, which is why Tianshan Sibao decided to cultivate the black potato in Xinjiang. According to He tao, "Our potato plantations are located at an elevation 7,343 meters above sea level in the Tianshan mountain range on the southern slope of Pobeda peak. The soil in this area is rich in selenium, which means that our potatoes are rich in selenium as well as other trace elements such as zinc. There is very little rainfall in the region, but we utilize melting snow from Tianshan to irrigate our crops. Daily sunshine can reach as much as 17 hours. The temperature differences are quite large, which is beneficial for the accumulation of sugars in potatoes. The natural environment in Xinjiang makes this an excellent and safe place to produce potatoes. All of these elements combine to create an ideal environment for the plantation of black potatoes. The geographic location and the weather conditions are ideal."
"Black potatoes are rich in nutrients. We grow these potatoes with organic plantation methods. As for the price, the retail price in supermarkets is only 9.9 yuan [1.42 USD] per 0.5 kg. The black potato price is quite stable. Market demand is gradually growing. The plantation season in Xinjiang begins every year in April. The potatoes require 100-120 days to grow to maturity. They enter the market every year in September. We keep the potatoes in storage and we can sell them for a period of six months. We still have a small volume from 2019 in our warehouse. We encourage people who are interested in our black potatoes to contact us. In addition to black potatoes, we also sell red potatoes and dried apricots."
For more information:
He Tao
Xinjiang Tianshan Sibao Unique natural Development Co., Ltd.
Tel.: 13659042616