Changjiang Li Autonomous County in China's Hainan province has integrated scientific innovations to enhance sweet potato exports. Local producers are utilizing high-tech healing chambers to refurbish damaged tubers before international distribution.
"Sweet potato skins are delicate and easily damaged during harvest," commented Sun Tong, deputy general manager of Changjiang Guangling Agricultural Technology. "If left untreated, these wounds can lead to soft rot or black spot disease in storage."
The county employs post-harvest heat treatment to improve shelf life and minimize waste, factors critical for shipping. These high-tech healing rooms facilitate a week-long "heat therapy" for injured sweet potatoes, maintaining specific humidity and carbon dioxide levels. This process aims to transform the county's sandy coastal fields into a robust export sector.
"Damaged sweet potatoes can develop a natural protective layer when treated in a 40 °C healing chamber for seven days, effectively blocking pathogens," Sun stated. The procedure enhances tubers' healthy yield to 94.7%, extends shelf life from one month to over six months, and lowers spoilage rates from 15% to 10%, stabilizing year-round supply.
Exports have reached key markets, including Canada, with seven containers totaling 152 metric tons shipped since December. The company seeks to send over 100 containers this year, targeting West Asia, East Asia, and Western Europe markets.
Changjiang cultivates sweet potatoes over 16.67 square kilometers, contributing 20% of the island's sweet potato market, according to local authority data. "We're also building a full supply chain for tropical crops like mangoes and longan," Sun added. "This upgrade helps small farmers meet global standards and transforms local produce into a competitive international commodity."
Source: China Daily