Hometown of Chinese Navel Oranges' Shines With Smart Agriculture Efforts

Zigui county, known as "hometown of Chinese navel oranges", in Central China's Hubei province has driven its navel orange industry onto the fast track by smart agriculture.

"With the support from China Internet Development Foundation, the orchard sector has accelerated the ongoing digital transformation as part of the efforts to produce high-quality fruits and increase local farmers' income," said Yan Yi, director-general of Jiaxian fruits and vegetables production and marketing cooperative in Guiya village, Zigui county.

Yan Yi, a Guiya native, in his 30s, returned to his hometown after graduating from university.

Meteorological stations help farmers collect data such as wind temperature, humidity, rainfall and pressure, pest monitoring lamps help protect fruits from insects and diseases, and automatic irrigation systems enable farmers to control the amount of water and fertilizer. These devices can be operated remotely via smartphone apps, significantly improving efficiency and reducing labor costs.

With the help of cutting-edge agricultural techniques, local farmers no longer need to worry about the transportation of fruits harvested, an activity that used to be tough and time-consuming.

"A rail track has increased transportation efficiency by 8 to 10 times. During the harvest time, boxes of navel oranges are automatically transported via rail tracks," said Yan.

Once the navel oranges are harvested, they are sent to an intelligent sorting line, where the scanner can quantify the size, peel color, sugar content and water content.

The introduction of livestreaming has opened up new channels that ensure navel orange products can reach the market at the fastest rate.

Navel orange industry is a key pillar in Zigui county. Covering 6 million hectares, the county's navel orange cultivation yields 700,000 tons. The county has formed an industrial development pattern in which different varieties of oranges are listed throughout the year.

Smart agriculture program in Zigui county is one of 10 digital rural initiatives supported by China Internet Development Foundation to help the navel orange industry achieve comprehensive digital transformation.