In 2012, the dryland farming system in Aohan, Inner Mongolia, was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the FAO. Seizing this opportunity, Aohan Banner has dedicated efforts to building the regional public brand "Aohan Millet" and prioritized the millet industry as one of its three leading agricultural sectors, achieving remarkable results.
Over the past decade, Aohan Millet has evolved into a fully integrated industrial chain, spanning cultivation, processing, sales, consumption, culture, and tourism. The brand has been granted geographical indication protection, recognized as one of China’s top ten "Agricultural Heritage Quality Products," and included in the China Agricultural Brand Directory.
Backed by the China Millet Industry Technology System, Aohan has strengthened scientific research support, developing new varieties based on the traditional "Golden Seedling" strain. In 2019, "Golden Seedling K1" was introduced, followed by the successful development of "Aogu 8000" in 2022—a superior variety with enhanced lodging resistance, now a core cultivar for Aohan Millet.
Through heritage conservation and utilization, Aohan has cultivated a nationally renowned regional brand, launching products such as "Golden Seedling Rice" and "Red Valley Rice," as well as processed goods like millet wine and millet oil. These high-quality organic millet products have gained strong market appeal.
This year, Aohan Banner has expanded the adoption of drought- and disease-resistant varieties while promoting smart irrigation systems with integrated water-fertilizer technology. This ensures that over 80% of its one-million-acre millet cultivation area consists of premium varieties.
Ma Lihua, Deputy Party Secretary and Banner Chief of Aohan, noted that the region has nurtured one national-level and five regional-level leading enterprises. The millet industry has become a pillar of rural revitalization, with both planting area and product prices doubling since 2012, increasing farmers’ annual per capita income by more than 2,000 yuan.
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