Innovation drives agri-growth

A winter cabbage variety that reduces reliance on imported seeds, drones that carry oranges down steep hillsides and a rice mill that cuts grain breakage are tackling different problems in Hubei province's agricultural industries.

Across Hubei, research and new equipment are being connected with cultivation, processing and markets. The changes reach beyond improving harvests: they help growers overcome transport constraints, help processors reduce waste and make fuller use of raw materials, and help villages develop new sources of income.

Wang Dongmei, an official with the provincial department of science and technology, said Hubei has prioritized scientific and technological innovation in its economic, social and agricultural development.

Taking advantage of its strength in education, research and agriculture, the province is aligning agricultural research with industry needs and putting more research findings into practical use to support the development of modern agriculture, Wang said.

According to local statistics, the added value of Hubei's primary industry reached 538.07 billion yuan ($80.13 billion) in 2025, up 3.5 percent year-on-year.

Better seeds

In Jiayu county, Xianning, efforts to strengthen the cabbage industry began with the seed.

The county grows about 180,000 mu (12,000 hectares) of cabbage, producing 720,000 metric tons a year. But growers had long depended heavily on imported seeds, whose high prices and uncertain supplies made it harder to control production costs, said Qiu Zhengming, chief scientist with the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

In 2008, Jiayu began working with a team led by Fang Zhiyuan of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences to develop varieties suited to local conditions.

After a decade of research, Zhonggan 1305, developed for winter cultivation, was introduced in 2018. It now covers nearly 100,000 mu, accounting for about 70 percent of the county's winter cabbage area.

Improvements extend beyond breeding in the county. At a vegetable science and technology demonstration park, sensors monitor temperature, humidity and pest activity. A digital platform helps standardize production from raising seedlings to harvesting, while QR codes trace vegetables to individual plots.

Technology should keep vegetables affordable for consumers while allowing growers to make a profit, Qiu said.

Ma Jiliang, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said Jiayu shows how scientific research can support local industries.

Building a regional vegetable brand with a geographical indication depends on science and technology, Ma said, adding that varieties with independent intellectual property rights are key to the industry's competitiveness.