Harvesting the future

Zhao Xuebao, 68, is happy that she can get paid 130 yuan a day doing something that is much easier than what she did before.

"The region used to be occupied by traditional farming at the beginning," she says.

Zhao used to grow paddy rice in the old times and could produce about 300 kilograms a year.

After receiving training about standard pruning, vine arrangement and use of rail cars for greenhouses, Zhao has been able to live up to her responsibilities.

"It's much easier work here, the environment is so much nicer, and the pay is better," she adds.

It is only a 10-minute motorcycle ride from her home.

Local authorities aim for those digital farming projects to be a model in the transition from traditional to modern farming.

The goal is to pursue highly productive and efficient agriculture in the future.

One-hour drive away, Zeshan Aslam is getting ready to work at the molecular diagnosis laboratory at an ecological garden in the city's Pinghu district.

The garden was built by the Orisis Group in 2018, which specializes in plant-seedling technology and detoxification systems.