Yang Hongjuan, 34, a farmer in Lamaban village in Shangdu county, by Ulaanqab city, is an example of those who benefit from the local potato industry.

Yang and her husband used to do part-time jobs to make ends meet for her family of five. But despite all their best efforts, the income was never enough, dragging them into deeper financial difficulty.

Last year, with the help of the local government and businesses, Yang learned potato cultivation skills and found great success. So much so their annual net income from growing the humble spud reached 62,000 yuan ($8,857) last year. 

That same year, Yang was awarded the title "star of entrepreneurship" for lifting herself and her family out of poverty by planting potatoes.