As the winter harvest season arrives, Chinese cabbage from Yutian, Hebei province, is hitting markets across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and attracting buyers from further afield.

In the fields of the Huayu Cabbage Cooperative in Yutian, rows of bright green and neatly shaped heads have already been snapped up, with prices more than double that of ordinary cabbage, according to Cai Lianzhu, head of the cooperative.

"All 5.3 hectares of our Chinese cabbage are planted with the variety Lyusun 70, whose tolerance to low light and (resistance to) disease has been excellent," Cai said.

The new cabbage variety was developed by Zhang Shujiang, a researcher at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and his breeding team. The variety was included in China's national catalog of recommended crop varieties earlier this year after performing strongly in Yutian's fields, achieving high yields and quality despite persistent rainfall across Hebei, Zhang said.

"It's a first-generation hybrid with upright plants and tightly wrapped leaves shaped like a shell. Besides its strong resistance, it stores well and has a sweet, crisp texture, which is good for both raw and cooked dishes," he said.

Yutian county began cooperating with the institute in 2021, with top-level breeding teams arriving to test new varieties of cabbage, cauliflower, potato and spinach. Lyusun 70 was one of the most successful trial varieties, along with Hongsunbao No 1, another Chinese cabbage variety suited for both spring and fall planting.

The introduction of Hongsunbao No 1 has helped Yutian break away from its old pattern of relying solely on fall planting. The new variety fills a market gap in summer, expanding the county's growing season and strengthening market competitiveness.

Shi Dongyu, head of the Lanyu Cooperative, said his group expanded planting of Hongsunbao No 1 to 2 hectares this fall after strong buyer interest.

"Its smaller head size and good flavor make it popular in southern markets. Buyers are offering more than 4 yuan per kilogram," he said.

Zhang noted that consumer preferences are shifting, as smaller and higher-quality produce is gradually favored over the large-head vegetables that once dominated the market.

"Hongsunbao No 1 fits this trend precisely," he said.

In recent years, varietal upgrades have boosted yields and profitability in the county's vegetable industry, strengthening the entire supply chain, with Yutian Vegetables named one of the top 50 public brands in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in 2025.