It is the harvest season for rice again with so many new types of rice on display in supermarkets, attracting the housewives\' attention in downtown area. Some rice sellers even take rice into the communities for sale, which catches crowds of people. At the Shangri-La Square of Xiling Road 2, the promotion of the" Plumule Rice" went on for several days.

　　What is called “Plumule Rice”? The sellers explained that the other ingredients of this plumule rice are the same as of the ordinary rice; it is the rice germ that makes it different which is nutrient source of the rice. You can firstly have a taste of the cooked plumule rice before you decide to buy it. The bidding price of the plumule rice is RMB19.8 ($3.21)/kilo. The reporter has noticed that some residents buy some plumule rice after their tasting. Plumule rice is expensive enough, there is one more costly called Wacang Rice (RMB 35 ($5.67)/kilo), with exquisite wrapping. It is sold at the price of RMB 35 ($5.67) for one small bag which only contains half a kilo of the local Wacang Rice.

　　Why is the local rice so high-priced? Bearing the doubts in mind, the reporter interviewed Li Jianjun, the Chief of the Yichang Bureau of Agriculture Planting.

　　The two kinds of rice are chosen to be "Nationally Protected Agricultural Products"

　　"The Wacang Rice is one of the grain products which has been awarded as on of the "Nationally Protected Agricultural Products".

　　"Smaller quantity but higher quality justifies its high price." says Li Jianjun. The crucial factor for the rice to be different is the unique environment which is not available to any other types of rice.

　　This rice is grown in Yuan\'an County with a name of Wacang because the famous Uprising called Wachang. The soil is fertile with moderate PH level, which is rich in organic substance and trace elements. The growth cycle of the rice is about 150 days twice as long as for the ordinary rice. The long growth cycle is conductive to the accumulation of nutrition during the rice filling stages.

　　Another kind of rice awarded as "Nationally Protected Agricultural Products" in Yichang is Shi Macao Rice which is the specialty of a village called Shi Macao in Dangyang City. The terrain similarly of "a valley between two mountains" enjoys a favorable environment, namely, soil texture, the warm and humid climate, the moderate air humidity, the large temperature difference between day and night and the cold watering attributes to the competitive rice with fine color, aroma and taste.

　　"The Wacang Rice is selected as one of the Model Agricultural Products in 2012, while Shi Macao Rice for this year." Li Jianjun told the reporter. After the Wachang Rice being Model Agricultural Product, 16 villages of Yuan’an County were included in the registration area of protection. The total annual output of the rice is expected to reach 20,000 tons. After the Wacang Rice being titled as Model Agricultural Product and implemented registration for Geographical Indications of Agricultural Protection, more stringent specifications on their products quality, planting and processing technology have been formulated.

　　At present, Wacang Rice and Shi Macao Rice are both produced by their own corporation associates and sold by the rice companies.

　　The Yichang rice is in search for branding and on the road to high production and high quality.

　　Mr. Li says that the branding process of Yichang rice is under exploration; Wacang Rice and Shi Machao Rice are the forerunners. The main rice production areas are Zhijiang City and Dangyang County. So far, the various types of hybrid rice are planted on the large scale with only a few areas growing the ordinary rice.

　　By contrast, the output of the hybrid rice is bigger in quantity and the ordinary rice is better in quality. After validation, the high quality rice named "Hubei NO.5", and ordinary types will be grown in Yichang, which enjoys a high reputation in rice cultivation.

　　Last Friday, in Yichang High-quality Rice Appraisal & Identification Conference hosted by Yichang Agricultural Bureau, 7 provincial rice experts were invited to evaluate and grade the 31 rice samples selected from local areas of Yichang. At the Conference, two new varieties of rice enjoy more popularity, one is japonica rice, Xiang Yubo, sent by Yichang Academy of Agricultural Science; the other is Indica, Shi Yang Aromatic Rice, recommended by Zhijiang City. Both won the most affirmative appraisal of these experts. “It is a natural trend that the phenomenon of aging and degradation will appear during the process of rice development. Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture requires that the seeds replacement should be completed within 5 years. At the same time, in order to facilitate rice production, we need to do a good job in a timely manner for the structural adjustment of seeds as well as the reserve of selected seeds. Li Jianjun explained the original intention of the appraisal in this way. He showed us a result list of the first High-quality Rice Appraisal & Identification Conference in 2001 in Yichang. “The Jianzhen Rice No.2 was awarded the first prize at that Conference. Unfortunately, it is not planted now.”

　　“Yichang has an area of 4,990,000 mu (about 2660 square meters) for grain growing, of which, rice accounts for a large proportion, about 1,300,000 mu (about 666 square meters)”. Safety and taste are citizens’ basic requirements for the local rice. Compared with rice grown in other places, local rice gives us better tastes and better feelings.In the future, high-yield and high-quality will be regarded as the goal in rice planting. Guided by the idea of “branding”, more outstanding brands will be cultivated; more “Wacang Rice” will be available to the residents in Yichang.

　　(Correspondent: Zhao Wei)