[Grain Policy of a Great Country] “Transporting Vegetables from South to North”: Uncovering the Secret of “Winter-Spring Transition” on the Tip of the Tongue

When the north is covered in snow, the shelves of the vegetable markets are blossoming with the spirit of spring from Lingnan: the tomatoes in Guangxi are juicy and translucent, the leafy vegetables in Yunnan are green and lush... This "spring on the tip of the tongue" spanning thousands of kilometers is a modern miracle created by China's "Southern Vegetables to the North" project.

From November to April of the following year, when greenhouses in the north enter hibernation, vegetables from the south board cold chain trains and start their journey north, filling the climate gap between the north and the south with abundant products. This "Spring Festival" of vegetables, which lasts for half a year, not only keeps the tables of northern residents green all year round, but also composes a concerto of modern agriculture through the interweaving of the railway network and the Internet.

The evolution of “southern vegetables shipped to the north”

The cold winter at 34° north latitude has drawn an invisible "dividing line between vegetables and fruits". From November to April of the following year, the greenhouses in the north enter a "hibernation period" due to insufficient light, while the average daily temperature in southern provinces such as Guangxi and Yunnan remains at 15℃~25℃, which can be called a natural "wintering vegetable shed". Therefore, the south has become the main production area of ​​winter and spring vegetables.

In the early days, some individual vendors spontaneously organized to transport vegetables from the south to the north for sale, but the scale was relatively small. Since 2010, in order to meet people's demand for fresh vegetables in winter, the national level has begun to make a systematic layout of "transporting vegetables from the south to the north". The Ministry of Commerce launched a pilot project. In 2011, it jointly issued a document with the Ministry of Finance to include Hainan, Guangxi and Yunnan in the main production areas of "transporting vegetables from the south to the north", and invested funds to support the construction of infrastructure such as cold chain logistics and information platforms.

In 2012, the National Vegetable Industry Development Plan (2011-2020) further clarified the focus on building bases in Hainan and Guangxi, and optimizing the investment in seed projects, cold chain systems and other fields. By 2014, Yunnan had supplied more than 20 million tons of vegetables to the north, accounting for 37% of its total output, and Guangxi's annual export volume reached more than 8 million tons, covering the Northeast and North China markets.

Vegetables from the south are transported to the north (Photo from the Internet)

Where does the “Spring Festival Travel” train for agricultural products depart from?

In the "Southern Vegetables to the North" project, which places are mainly responsible for "export"? Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan and other provinces are the main suppliers of vegetables and fruits to northern provinces in winter, providing a rich source of vitamins and dietary fiber for the people in the north.

Shouguang, Shandong, has become a well-deserved vegetable exporting province with its leading agricultural technology level and mature vegetable planting system. Shouguang has a rich variety of vegetables. Take tomatoes as an example. Shouguang has cherry tomatoes suitable for eating raw, which are small and exquisite, sweet and sour, and large tomatoes for cooking, which are thick, juicy and delicious, to meet the different needs of consumers.

Yunnan, with its unique three-dimensional climate, can grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in different regions. Among the vegetables exported from Yunnan, the yield of leafy greens and spinach is considerable. Their leaves are fresh and tender, rich in vitamins and minerals, and are very popular in the market. The root vegetables of carrots and yams are of excellent quality. Carrots are bright in color and have a crisp and sweet taste, while yams are soft and glutinous and rich in nutrients.

Cabbage lettuce in Luliang, Yunnan (Photo from the Internet)

These vegetables are transported by the "Southern Vegetables to the North" special train to the three northeastern provinces, Beijing, Tianjin and other northern regions, bringing fresh and delicious "spring" to the tables of northern people.

Two-way pursuit of delicious food and increased revenue and value

In the cold winter, when northern families cook delicious food with fresh vegetables from the south, the warmth of people's livelihood projects is within reach.

This unprecedented scale of agricultural product "Spring Festival Transport" has brought many tangible benefits. The "Southern Vegetables to the North" project has been implemented for many years. It not only allows northern consumers to taste a variety of affordable fresh vegetables in the cold winter, making the dining table more colorful, but also brings rich income to the vegetable-growing areas in the south. A series of related industries such as local transportation, packaging, and processing have flourished, creating a large number of jobs.

From the ancient Tea-Horse Road with the ringing bells of the caravans to the long whistles of the cold chain trains, from the farming taboo of "no vegetables transported a thousand miles away" to modern logistics that can travel three thousand miles a day, the Chinese have used their wisdom and technology to complete an agricultural revolution that transcends time and space.

Author: Xie Yun

Scientific review: Wang Xiaodong, Senior Agronomist, Beijing Digital Agriculture and Rural Promotion Center