Farmers' festival showcases tech and rural life

A peach-picking robot moved between rows of trees in Dongjiao village in Zaoyang, Hubei province, on Wednesday, carefully harvesting premium yellow peaches as visitors looked on. Nearby stood an array of smart agricultural machinery, which included transport vehicles and mowers that can be operated remotely via smartphones.

The demonstration was part of the main event of the annual Chinese farmers' harvest festival, which was held in the village on Wednesday and turned it into a showcase of agricultural technology, farm products and rural life.

"This is Jinhuang 4. It begins to mature in early to mid-September. The flesh is tender and juicy, with a strong peach aroma, and it can stay on the tree for more than 20 days," said Liu Bin, supervisor of a local yellow peach cooperative.

The cooperative's display also featured locally grown fresh peaches and a range of processed peach products. Liu said several premium varieties introduced and developed by agricultural research institutes were selected due to their suitability to Zaoyang's local growing conditions.

"We have always focused on developing the entire industrial chain," said Liu, highlighting how peaches can function as a stable industry that farmers can rely on for a livelihood.

The peach industry in Zaoyang city now has a combined output value of 10.1 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) and a brand value of 14.7 billion yuan, he said. It supports nearly 20,000 peach growers and provides jobs for about 150,000 people.

The event in Zaoyang, Xiangyang, showcases agricultural products and technologies while offering visitors opportunities to taste local specialties and experience rural life. Organizers say the festival is designed to create markets for farm products and help farmers share in the value generated by rural industries.

The ninth Chinese farmers' harvest festival focuses on technology, green production, quality and branding, according to Zhang Guihua, head of the Hubei provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

Visitors can watch demonstrations of agricultural applications, including autonomous harvesting, and see recent research achievements in areas such as biological breeding and biomanufacturing, Zhang said.

The event also provides a platform to connect local farm products with consumers far beyond the fields where they are produced.

Local specialties, including premium grain and edible oils, beef noodles, high-aroma tea and Zaoyang peaches, are being promoted through e-commerce platforms such as Pinduoduo and Douyin. An online harvest market and a livestreaming competition are also being held to help local products reach consumers beyond the countryside.

"The final goal of hosting the festival is to let farmers benefit and rural areas develop," said Du Haiyang, mayor of Xiangyang.

The city plans to use the event to attract investment in agricultural processing, rural tourism and farm-based educational programs, while encouraging arrangements such as land transfers, local employment and profit-sharing to connect farmers more closely with agricultural industries, Du said.

Lei Liugong, director of the market and informatization department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said at an earlier news conference that farmers should be at the center of the festival.

"The festival should become an important platform for developing rural industries and helping farmers increase their incomes," Lei said.

With the festival taking place as the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays approach, Xiangyang is also promoting rural tourism routes, farm visits, local food and cultural activities.

Contact the writers at zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn