Shouguang City in east China's Shandong Province has set a model for agricultural transformation, using innovative techniques to achieve self-reliant, standardized, sustainable and smart production of high-quality vegetables that are both healthy and environmentally friendly.
Hailed as "China's vegetable capital," it is home to the biggest vegetable production and wholesale market in China.
Inside a greenhouse of the city, red cherry tomatoes are thriving.
"Recently, we've been harvesting 150 to 200 kilograms a day. Look at the leaves. They're much better than before. The leaves are greener. There are fewer pests and diseases," said a local vegetable grower while showcasing the cherry tomatoes she grows.
Besides cherry tomatoes, almost every town in Shouguang has a vegetable industry of some kind.
Now Shouguang's vegetables are in great demand all over the country. However, in the past, vegetables grown in Shouguang were for a long time being eclipsed by foreign varieties, according to Li Xishi, a planting technician from Shouguang Vegetable Hi-Tech Demonstration Park.
Pesticides with relatively high toxicity were used to achieve better results, which was dangerous for both food safety and for the land, Li said.
Li highlighted significant advancements in agricultural practices, noting the shift towards low-toxicity pesticides with low residue, alongside a greater emphasis on physical pest control and the use of organic fertilizers to improve soil structure.
Moreover, modern and digital technologies are driving green and standardized production, with local greenhouses equipped with smart devices interconnected through the internet, Li said. A greenhouse in the city has achieved real-time control of temperature and root absorption to detect slight bacterial infection on vegetables.
"The spots are because a previous heatwave caused a slight bacterial infection. This is bacterial infection. But now, based on this temperature, based on the root absorption, we have real-time control. Now, its softness and growth points are quite normal. You can say that it's full of vitality," said another vegetable grower while explaining why there are spots on vegetables.
Starting in 2010, the city began to attract talented individuals, increase investment, and boost the research and development of vegetable seeds to reduce cost of planting and reliance on imports.
"Because seeds are the chips of agriculture. Now, an increasing number of scientific research institutions, even enterprises, are starting to research how to develop new varieties. In Shouguang, over 70 percent of seeds used are classified as independent intellectual property. It also solves the long-term situation of being monopolized by foreign varieties," Li said.
China's vegetable powerhouse paves way for self-reliant, smart farming
A conference on sustainable development cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states concluded with the signing of 18 key projects worth a total of 4.795 billion yuan (about 655.5 million U.S. dollars) on Thursday in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
The projects, covering new energy, new materials, infrastructure, and automotive supply chains, are expected to boost practical cooperation among member states.
Nearly 400 guests, including officials and enterprises from SCO member states, attended the opening session. The conference is part of a series of activities ahead of the upcoming SCO summit in China this autumn.
The agreements involve eight countries, including the UAE, Egypt, and Uzbekistan. Notable projects include a 200-megawatt transformer substation in Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone and a collaboration between the UAE and Tianjin Municipality to help local enterprises expand overseas.
Ahmed El Homosani, CEO of the Sczone Utilities, highlighted the importance of the power substation project in attracting quality investments. "What we are going to sign is a framework agreement regarding building a new substation, 200 mega of electricity power. It will attract more and better investments," he said.
Meanwhile, Avinash Jagetiya, CEO of UAE's Sun Management Consulting, emphasized the significance of the cooperation agreement with Tianjin. "Yes, I'm certainly looking forward to this conference and that is the reason I'm here. And in this conference also we are going to sign an MOU (Memorandum of understanding) with Tianjing government. And this project is a step forward in serving the Tianjin enterprises and expanding their footprints and overseas market," he said. The conference also featured specialized sessions on energy, infrastructure, and mining cooperation. Energy cooperation was a focal point, with representatives from Kyrgyzstan noting increased interest from Chinese investors in energy projects.
"At present, a large number of Chinese investors are directly engaged with Kyrgyzstan's State Investment Agency for energy projects, including hydropower, solar and wind power plants," said Maksatbek Botoyarov, chief specialist of the Department of Investment Attraction and Regional Development of Kyrgyzstan.
Participants, including representatives from traditional energy firm LONGi, expressed commitments to increasing investments in the new energy sector and exploring green transformation pathways with SCO members.
"Over the years, we have developed green electricity and green hydrogen products and technical solutions to help these SCO countries achieve their sustainable development and energy transition. We are also actively communicating with the Kazakh government to formulate specific plans and programs for implementation," said Shi Shufeng, marketing director of LONGi's Central and East African Market.
SCO sustainable development conference secures 18 projects involving nearly 4.8 bln yuan
