Lotus roots in Nansha's Wanqingsha enter harvest season

A farmer collects lotus roots in a pond. [Photo by Liu Wei/WeChat account: nanshafabu]

Wanqingsha town in Nansha district, the southernmost area of Guangzhou, has a water area of 50.73 square kilometers and the lotus roots planted there have entered their harvest season, local media outlets reported on Aug 13.

The town has a lotus root plantation history of over 100 years and the plantation area now exceeds 10,000 mu (667 hectares), with an annual yield volume of over 10,000 metric tons. 

A villager surnamed Chen, who has a 100-mu lotus pond, said that the harvest season of lotus roots will last until after the Mid-Autumn Festival, with this year's yield expected to be good.

Chen said that the lotus roots planted in his pond are the popular Xinken lotus roots and that this year's purchasing price for this kind of lotus root can reach 3.5 yuan ($0.5) for every 500 grams, with the price selling on the market expected to reach over 6 yuan per 500 grams.

The Xinken lotus root has now received the national green food recognition and passed experts' assessment for being a national geographical indication product. It is now widely sold throughout Europe, America, and Southeast Asia.