Institute of Cash Crops originally established in 1958, is the only public provincial level institute mainly engaged in vegetables and herbs research in Hebei province. It devotes to doing research, training, extension and social work in the field of new breeds and cultivation facilities of vegetables, flowers and medicinal herbs. The institute aims for North China, mainly focuses on 3 research directions, vegetable germplasm resources, vegetable cultivation physiological and plant development regulation studies, and facility environmental control technology.

The institute sets up 9 research laboratories that consist of Laboratory of Chinese cabbage, melon, solanaceous crops, protected cultivation, cash crops, horticultural engineering, bio-technology, asparagus and medicinal herbs. There are 4 competitive experimental stations so far, namely Staple Vegetables and Melon Experimental Stations of National Industrial Technology System, Scientific Observation and Experiment Station of Vegetable research in North part of China, and Engineering Research Centre for Vegetables of Hebei.
Called upon by the needs of Hebei province economic and social development in recent years, with the exclusively competitiveness in R&D and social credit deserved, Institute of Vegetables and Medicinal Herbs has made some breakthroughs in the fields of vegetable breeding, standardized cultivation, facility technology. The institute served as the technical support for Hebei’s agriculture development, has provided generic and key technology and solved many agriculture related issues like introduction of new varieties, vegetables &herbs standardized cultivation, water saving irrigation, design and construct greenhouse. Institute of Vegetables and Medicinal Herbs has become an important base of agriculture innovative, specialist training, academic exchanging and technology transferring in Hebei province.