Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released the list of typical cases of “local specialties” driving county prosperity and enriching farmers. The industrial development case of Chengmai Qiaotou Sweet Potato in Hainan was successfully selected, making it the only awarded agricultural product brand in Hainan Province. From the predicament of “barren sand land unsuitable for rice cultivation” in the past to a wealth-generating industry with an annual output value of 580 million yuan today, Qiaotou Sweet Potato has forged a “sweet industrial chain” for rural revitalization with its vines. Hainan Yingtian Ark Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. has actively integrated into the Qiaotou Sweet Potato industrial system. Through direct sourcing from origins and branded operation, it delivers this national geographical indication product from farmlands to dining tables of consumers nationwide.
Gold from Sandy Soil: Turning Tiny Sweet Potatoes into a Major Industry
Qiaotou Town of Chengmai County lies in an area covered by ancient volcanic eruptions, boasting abundant selenium-rich sandy soil formed by weathered volcanic rock. This stretch of sand land, once deemed incapable of growing rice, nurtures the soft, glutinous and sweet Qiaotou Sweet Potato. According to data from the Chengmai Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the planting area of Qiaotou Sweet Potato across the county reached 38,000 mu in 2025, with a total output of 61,000 tons and an output value of 580 million yuan. The products sell well all over China and are exported to Singapore, Canada and other countries, emerging as a distinguished business card for Hainan’s characteristic agricultural products.
In terms of brand development, Qiaotou Sweet Potato obtained the certification as a National Geographical Indication Protected Product in 2018. It has also been included in the High-Quality Agricultural Brand Cultivation Program initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the national recommendation list of “local specialties”. With the implementation of the group standard Hainan Fresh Produce Regional Public Brand – Sweet Potato, Qiaotou Sweet Potato is accelerating the development of “Hainan’s largest sweet potato seedling breeding base”, “Hainan’s largest sweet potato distribution and trading center” and “Hainan’s most complete whole industrial chain for sweet potatoes”. At present, the construction of the provincial-level Qiaotou Sweet Potato Industrial Park is being further advanced, which will continuously drive high-quality development of branded agriculture with complete industrial chains in Chengmai.
High Demand Driven by Premium Quality: Building Brand Barriers
Superior quality is the fundamental reason for the persistent strong market demand for Qiaotou Sweet Potato. Wang Wenke, leader of the Qiaotou Sweet Potato industry and Chairman of Chengmai Qiaotou Sweet Potato Production and Marketing Association, once remarked that high-quality sweet potatoes never lack buyers. “Every year, purchasers come to Qiaotou Town to buy sweet potatoes. Those without familiar contacts or stable cooperative relationships with farmers can hardly secure supplies, as numerous merchants are queuing up for procurement.”
Nevertheless, its good reputation and high quality have also brought challenges in brand protection. Despite its fame, Qiaotou Sweet Potato has long faced the problem that unregulated sweet potatoes on the market can be falsely labeled as Qiaotou Sweet Potato, resulting in inconsistent quality and weak brand barriers. To address this issue, Chengmai County launched a pilot comprehensive rural reform project to advance digital and intelligent upgrading covering six dimensions: planting technologies, production services, brand management, agricultural assets, agricultural finance, and integrated agriculture-tourism development. Meanwhile, Qiaotou Sweet Potato has passed two international certifications: the ISO22000 Food Safety Management System and the HACCP System. A person in charge of Chengmai Qiaotou Sweet Potato Production and Marketing Association stated that the association will unite all member entities to strengthen quality control in line with international standards.
Empowerment by Technology: Dual-Driven Improved Seeds and Advanced Cultivation Methods
Technology serves as the core driving force for quality improvement and upgrading of the Qiaotou Sweet Potato industry. In April 2026, remarkable progress was achieved in raising the unit yield of Qiaotou Sweet Potato, offering replicable and promotable practical experience for Hainan’s sweet potato industry. The dual empowerment of improved varieties and advanced farming techniques continuously fuels Hainan’s efforts to deepen agricultural technological empowerment, expand the promotion of fine varieties and advanced technologies, boost quality and efficiency of the sweet potato industry, and turn “tiny sweet potatoes” into a major industry increasing farmers’ income.
At the seedling stage, Qiaotou Town aims to achieve 100% supply of virus-free seedlings within the next three to five years, and step up the introduction, trial planting, demonstration and promotion of new technologies. On the planting front, the local government makes full use of nearly 10,000 mu of suitable sandy land across the town to build the largest sandy-land sweet potato planting base in northern Hainan. In processing and circulation, upon the completion of the Qiaotou Sweet Potato Distribution and Exhibition Center Park, the efficient circulation chain connecting farmlands to dining tables will be further optimized.
Integrated Agriculture and Tourism: Cultural Festival Boosts Industrial Upgrading
Brand promotion and agriculture-tourism integration constitute another engine sustaining the growth of the Qiaotou Sweet Potato industry. In April 2026, the 14th Chengmai Qiaotou Sweet Potato Cultural Festival under the theme Cultural Chengmai · Twelve Movements, together with the annual all-for-one tourism promotion campaign of Qiaotou Town, grandly kicked off. During the event, visitors could experience digging sweet potatoes in the fields, taste various distinctive sweet potato snacks and enjoy pastoral fun. Leveraging new media tools such as live streaming, the brand influence of Qiaotou Sweet Potato keeps expanding.
In terms of production and marketing docking, the Hainan Fresh Produce · Chengmai Tropical Agricultural By-products Production and Marketing Matchmaking Event & Dragon Boat Festival Order Fair was held at the Qiaotou Sweet Potato Industrial Park in June 2026. Suppliers and purchasers from 9 cities and counties including Haikou, Danzhou and Chengmai, as well as Hainan State Farms Group gathered to explore new paths for production and marketing of tropical agricultural by-products. Focusing on premium tropical agricultural products represented by Qiaotou Sweet Potato, the event built an efficient cooperation bridge between producing areas and consumption markets.
Leveraging Origin Advantages to Help “Hainan Fresh Produce” Go Global
The development journey of the Qiaotou Sweet Potato industry stands as a vivid example of the branded, standardized and internationalized development of Hainan’s tropical efficient agriculture. Rooted in the origin advantages of Qiaotou, Chengmai, Hainan Yingtian Ark Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. actively connects high-quality supply chain resources of Qiaotou Sweet Potato. Through direct origin procurement and strict quality control, the company incorporates this national geographical indication product into its product portfolio, enabling more consumers to savor the sweet gift grown on selenium-rich sandy soil in Chengmai.
Against the backdrop of Hainan’s three-year action plan to elevate the “Hainan Fresh Produce” agricultural brand, Yingtian Ark will continue to cultivate characteristic Hainan agricultural categories including Qiaotou Sweet Potato. Taking quality as the foundation and brand as the guide, the company strives to help more premium “Hainan Fresh Produce” sail out of the island and reach every corner of China.