'New-era farmer' Pan Xinxing Leads the Way in Smart Farming

"We have built a large database for farmland, and with just a few clicks, we can manage the field crops well," said Pan Xinxing, who has endless topics to discuss when it comes to agriculture. Pan is the chief executive officer of an agricultural industrialization service company and styles himself as a new-era farmer.

After earning a Ph.D. from a British university, Pan returned to his hometown of Xishui county, Hubei province, in 2020 to pursue advancements in farming.

His company has grown into a comprehensive agricultural enterprise integrating rice cultivation, ecological aquaculture, rice processing, deep processing of rice products, and agricultural socialized services.

Pan has worked in rural areas and empowered the entire rice industry chain with digital information technology for years, paving a new path for smart agriculture and injecting development momentum into rural vitalization.

Pan's company partnered with Huazhong Agricultural University to develop a smart farmland management system. The system uses drones to conduct block-by-block inspections of thousands of acres of farmland, collecting data on terrain, pest control and seedling growth cycles.

With continuous scientific research achievements, the company has applied for 11 invention patents and established key provincial-level agricultural industrial enterprises, including rice processing factories and online agricultural product sales firms.

Meanwhile, Pan's company helps over 7,000 households and over 60 agricultural and farmer cooperatives from 45 villages in six townships in his county to increase their income.

With the help of Pan's company, members of the cooperatives have seen their annual incomes increase by over 10,000 yuan ($1,400), promoting the vigorous development of Xishui county's rice industry.