Customized products and technological breakthroughs have helped boost agricultural machinery exports from east China's Zhejiang Province, accelerating their expansion into overseas markets.
Data shows that the province recorded a surge in agricultural machinery exports during the first two months of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of over 33 percent.
One such example is Zhejiang Sifang Group Co., a long-established agricultural machinery manufacturer based in Yongkang, Zhejiang.
In a virtual meeting room, company representatives were discussing order requirements with a new client from Kenya. With the peak overseas ordering season in full swing, every stage of the production line -- from casting and machining to final assembly -- is running at full capacity. A new machine is packaged and rolls off the line every four minutes.
"Based on the specific needs of different national markets, we have also made differentiated and personalized customizations. We focus on continuously innovating our products and developing new ones", said Huang Weiwei, a department manager at the company.
While traditional firms resort to producing more customized products to better satisfy their global customers, the emerging ones focus on technological breakthroughs.
In a smart fruit-sorting company in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, intensive research and development of new products is underway.
At the beginning of this year, the company received its first overseas order. With one-third of its team dedicated to research and development, the company is making a concerted effort to seize this opportunity and expand into the global market.
"After launching the first generation of fruit-sorting machinery, we discovered a flaw: the fruits were being damaged by the equipment. Although the second generation addressed the damage issue, I found that its efficiency was relatively low and couldn’t meet actual production demands. We then developed the third generation, which solved both the efficiency and damage problems by adding trays," said Huang Jianxun, the company's general manager.
In addition to traditional overseas markets in ASEAN and the EU, the machinery has also made its way to Africa.
In Jinhua, Zhejiang -- the province's largest hub for agricultural machinery trade with Africa -- the China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Park is currently under construction.
Once completed, the park will simulate African climate conditions to identify vegetables, fruits, and other crops suitable for cultivation on the continent. Based on their growth characteristics, agricultural machinery will then be localized and adapted to meet regional needs.
The province, home to more than 4,200 agricultural machinery companies, has established itself as a leading force in China's agriculture sector.
To accelerate the overseas expansion of agricultural machinery, Zhejiang is also implementing a series of supporting measures, including the development of innovation platforms and supply-demand matchmaking events at exhibitions.
This year, the province will continue to organize local agricultural machinery exporters to participate in expos in countries such as Egypt and Morocco. In addition, it will encourage these companies to establish sales outlets and after-sales service centers overseas.
Customized products, tech breakthroughs power Zhejiang’s agricultural machinery exports
