The production line is expected to process about 2,500 tons of fresh potatoes per year, producing 1,000 tons of potato-turned-rice, achieving an output value of about 30 million yuan, he added.

Deng said the processing technology is expected to promote potato planting in mountainous areas, as well as the planting and deep-processing of other crops, further adding to the industrial chain of mountain agriculture.

He added that potatoes can be planted in most parts of the country, while processing technology has big potential for assisting poverty alleviation efforts through sci-tech progress.

The first batch of products has already been put on trial sale in the local market, and feedback shows that middle-aged and elderly people are interested.

According to Wu, food security is based on three major elements: the area of arable land, the yield per unit area and strategic reserves. The potato-turned-rice has many advantages in these three areas, and can contribute to ensuring food security.

Compared to the average yield of 12 tons per hectare for rice, the potato yield can reach over 30 tons per hectare. Potatoes can be grown in various regions across China, including mountainous areas and plains, and have strong drought resistance.

In recent years, the sowing area of potatoes in China has remained around 4.67 million hectares, with an annual output of nearly 90 million tons and an output ranking first in the world for many years.

Official data shows that China's cumulative grain imports in 2023 stood at 161 million tons, while total grain output was 695 million tons.

During the annual Central Economic Work Conference held in December to outline priorities for the Chinese economy in 2025, Chinese leaders decided that efforts should focus on areas including the stable production and supply of grain and other major agricultural products, as well as the promotion of the agricultural industry according to local conditions to increase farmers' incomes.

Xinhua