China's Zhejiang pushes ahead with smart agriculture

Nearly 100 cutting-edge technological achievements made a dazzling appearance during the 2024 Zhejiang Agricultural Fair, which was held in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, from Nov. 22 to 26, 2024.

In recent years, Zhejiang has been pursuing innovation-driven development. The contribution rate of science and technology advancement in agriculture reached 67.97 percent in Zhejiang in 2023.

A total of 2,646 enterprises participated in the 2024 Zhejiang Agricultural Fair, showcasing 25,000 types of products, the largest number in the history of the fair.

Photo shows agricultural drones that can accurately analyze conditions such as plant diseases and insect pests, soil and humidity. (Photo courtesy of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

New farming tools, such as a mini program that rapidly detects plant diseases and insect pests, and a picking robot that precisely assesses fruit ripeness for automated picking and sorting, were displayed during the fair, assisting farmers in enhancing agricultural production and income.

Visitors watch a sorting robot during the 2024 Zhejiang Agricultural Fair, held in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei)

The entire agricultural production process has become more advanced. At the event, a demonstration platform showcasing facilities for the mechanized and digital production of waxberries in mountain greenhouses attracted the interest of many onlookers.

According to Hua Shan, an expert with the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ZAAS), the system can advance the ripening period of greenhouse-cultivated waxberries by 15 to 30 days compared to those grown in open fields.

In recent years, Zhejiang has been actively promoting agricultural advancement through technology and machinery. In 2023, the mechanization rate for plowing, planting, and harvesting crops in Zhejiang reached 81.35 percent, an increase of 29.85 percentage points compared to before the initiative was introduced.

The fair recorded 325,100 visits, with on-site transaction volume surpassing 255 million yuan (about $35 million).

A rice variety with crops reaching the height of an adult catches the attention of many visitors during the 2024 Zhejiang Agricultural Fair, held in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei)

A rice variety with crops reaching the height of an adult also drew the interest of many attendees at the fair. In recent years, Zhejiang has accelerated its efforts in rice breeding. Earlier this year, the rice variety "Zhongzu 100" achieved a record yield of 754.36 kilograms per mu (one mu equals about 0.067 hectares) on a demonstration field.

Photo shows a new species of male Chinese hooksnout carp on display during the 2024 Zhejiang Agricultural Fair, held in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei)

Some innovative agricultural products also impressed spectators. At a booth, a range of Chinese torreya products, such as chocolates, scented items, and shampoo, drew many visitors to engage with the offerings.

Ying Hualiang, first chairman of the Agricultural Maker Development Association of Keqiao district, Shaoxing city, Zhejiang, said that the products are crafted from the arils of Chinese torreya nuts. Annually, 2 million kilograms of arils are utilized in the production of such items.

Photo shows Chinese torreya products on display during the 2024 Zhejiang Agricultural Fair, held in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei)

A variety of shelduck products from Jinyun county, Lishui city, Zhejiang were also featured at the fair. Yu Hui, executive deputy chairman of the Agricultural Maker Development Association of Lishui and general manager of Zhejiang Xinchang Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., said these products are the result of blending shelduck meat with meigancai, a type of dry pickled Chinese mustard, waxberries, and other specialty products from Zhejiang.

Photo shows an exhibition area during the 2024 Zhejiang Agricultural Fair, held in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

To date, Zhejiang has trained over 80,000 agricultural entrepreneurs, with individuals born after 1990 and 2000 representing more than half of this number.