Feature: Agro-technological short videos help Chinese farmers boost yields

BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese agricultural technicians are using short video platforms as a way to share valuable insights on crop diseases and yields. This practice has proved to be very popular with farmers.

"Has the rice been sprayed with pesticides?" Zhao Ya asked as he squatted down to talk to a group of farmers in a short that he posted on the video-sharing platform Douyin.

Zhao is the head of an agricultural technology station and a sci-tech commissioner at Fengtai County in Anhui Province, east China. He registered his video account in 2018 and has used it to promote agricultural technology ever since, focusing on pest and disease prevention, wheat and rice cultivation, and high-yield techniques.

By now, he has posted more than 600 short videos lasting from one to three minutes, such as giving directions for the best pesticide application period and reminding the farmers to see the growth of rice in fields for timely disease control.

He now has over 9,600 followers, and one of his most popular videos has amassed nearly 100,000 views.

BENEFICIAL, INTERACTIVE

These short videos, produced to promote the topics rather than to generate profit, are favored by farmers as a new digital "farm tool." They provide an engaging and accessible way to share knowledge and expertise with a wider audience, transforming the way farming information is distributed.

Zuo Zhongjun, a grain farmer in Yingshang County, Anhui Province, is among the beneficiaries. In February this year, which is the wheat greening period, Zuo used some of the tips shared by Zhao in his videos to reduce waterlogging.

Many agricultural technology workers like Zhao are using short video platforms to give agricultural technology more exposure. In 2023, approximately 27.8 million agricultural technology videos were posted on Douyin, clocking up 120.6 billion views.

China Rural Distance Education Network has even initiated an event with Douyin to promote advanced agricultural technology. Since it was launched in 2022, it has engaged 1,840 agricultural technicians and 10 scientists, and released more than 40,000 videos.

"The short videos are concise and highly interactive, and farmers can check, watch and learn on demand," said Chen Yangfen, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

"The platform's intelligent recommendation mechanism can help improve the allocation efficiency of agricultural technology supply and demand," said Chen.

Working to promote agricultural technology for 27 years, Zhao Ya finds it rewarding to see his videos viewed and liked by people. "It gives me more confidence when the videos receive more views," said Zhao.

PROFESSIONAL TALENT

Xu Mingju is an associate professor at the modern agriculture department of Linyi Vocational University of Science and Technology in east China's Shandong Province. He began giving agriculture lectures online more than 10 years ago.

In January 2024, Xu won an agricultural technology short video competition. With more than 2,300 short videos across his online accounts, he has 357,000 followers.

At the very beginning, Xu produced the videos all by himself. As more followers joined his channel, he expanded his outfit and employed a team of 10 people, including teachers and students.

The team members all value the combination of theory with practice and are driven by a desire to provide farmers with practical and reliable solutions. Their videos have helped farmers solve practical problems in fruit tree planting, pruning, pest control and fruit marketing.

"The videos can introduce the latest agricultural technology achievements and ideas to farmers," Xu said.

The Linyi Vocational University of Science and Technology has cultivated 800 students majoring in modern agricultural technology since the major was launched in 2020.

"Some of them run their own short video accounts, where they share agricultural technology knowledge and experience," Xu introduced.

Looking ahead, professionalization in terms of new promotion platforms, including short video sharing platforms, will be an important skill for new agricultural talent, said Xu.