It is learned that a meeting aiming at promoting the constructionof “Hubei-Guangdong Cooperation” Sweet Potato Export Demonstration Base has just been held in Dangyang.The construction of the basehas been pushed forward in an orderly manner since May, 2020.Up till now, the construction base of 235 mu (about 16 hectares) has been completed and the 2021 agreement of “1000 mu (67 hectares) plus 1000 mu (67 hectares)”has been signed.

　　At that day, the leaders and experts participating at the meeting inspected the progress of thebase construction and sang high praise of the high-standard management measures covering integrated application of water and fertilizer, comprehensive utilization of straw and whole-process mechanization. According to the spot measurement results, the production of sweet potato in the base reaches 3,200 kg/mu (about 0.06667 hectare), and the high-quality product rate is above 96%. Calculated by the purchase price of 1.6 yuan/kg in the field, the output value of sweet potato approaches 5,120 yuan/mu, and the net income will exceed 3,000 yuan per mu (about 666.6 m2).

　　In 2020, the Agricultural and Rural Department of Guangdong Province has provided assistance to the development of agriculture, anti-virus fight, and post-pandemic recovery in Hubei Province, and signed the cooperation agreement on Six Actions and Fifteen Items of Hubei-Guangdong Work Together to Get Through the Fight against COVID -19 with the relevant authority in Hubei. The Yicahang Municipal Government attaches great importance to the Hubei-Guangdong Cooperation, and formulates the specific Work Plan of Yichang Agricultural Products Promotion and Investment for Guangdong Agriculture. Dangyang will also prioritize the joint building of 1593 sweet potato base in Dangyang.

　　The cooperation project is divided into three phases:First, the pilot project will be carried out in 2020, and more than 200 mu (about 13 hectares) of contiguous base will be built. The core construction includes infrastructure construction, strict standardized production, improvement of product quality, integration of high-yield technology, and establishment of excellent brands. Second, the multi-point demonstration base of 1,000 mu (about 67 hectares) will be built in 2021. And the core construction includes expanding mass production, establishing fine and prosperous base, improving planting efficiency, and cultivating and boosting brands. Third, efforts will be made to expand the sweet potato planting area to 10,000 mu (about 667 hectares) in more towns. The core construction includes: the citywide order system will be established; production and selling conform to “Six in One”; and make local brands greater and stronger.

　　This year, Hubei-Guangdong cooperation sweet potato export demonstration base has achieved the following fruitions: greatly promoted the mechanization operation level, product quality, and standardization rate of the base through large-scale planting, standardized production and marketizedoperation. Thus，itplaysan exemplary role in the high-quality development of sweet potato in Yichang area.

　　Sun Jinsong, the deputy director of theYichang Municipal Bureau of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, told reporters that the promotion will reach a consensus to achieve major development by propelling small projects through the cooperation between the two provinces. That is to say, efforts will be made to expand small sweet potato production, makingthe industry bigger. Specifically speaking, great endeavorwill be madeto buildgood industrial teams, establishhigh-quality socialized service team and scientific &technological expert organization throughout the whole industrial chain, and meet the requirement of high-standard large-scale production. In addition, we should create regional public brand of Dangyang sweet potato by accelerating the export registration, port supply registration and GGAP certification of the base to magnify the project effect. Moreover, we should set industrial standards, speed up the construction of green production standardization system for export bases, standardize the planting behaviors of bases, and continue to enhance the core competitiveness of products.(Reporter, Jie Xingwei; correspondent, Li Jianjun)