Shanxi province will promote the potato industry's high-quality development and extend its processing industry chain in the next five years.

The Shanxi Provincial Government recently issued a plan to stimulate the local potato industry's growth and give the industry the capacity to increase farmers' incomes.

According to the circular, the province's potato industry will be divided into three production categories: high-starch and fresh potatoes, potato powder and fries (chips), and fast-maturing potatoes. The potato production sector is spread across 17 districts and counties in 10 cities in the province.

By 2025, Shanxi's potato farming area will cover 3,000 square kilometers, and the province will reach the goal of 17 billion yuan ($2.63 billion) in industrial output value. The same year, Shanxi will build one national-level and three provincial-level potato industrial parks as part of its goal to become a high-quality potato industrial hub.

The province will extend the potato processing industrial chain by developing diverse potato-based products ranging from food to chemicals, medicines, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

It will also encourage potato processing companies to sign agreements with potato farmers. For enterprises that process fresh potatoes above 50,000 metric tons per year, the province will promptly provide subsidies.