CGTN published an article exploring China’s efforts to strengthen specialized rural industries as part of its broader rural revitalization strategy. The article highlights how localized and tailored approaches and technological advancements, such as the integration of AI and the Internet of Things, are driving innovation and improving farmers’ incomes, thereby positioning agriculture as a modern pillar sector for China’s future development.
BEIJING, February 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In eastern China, vegetables are grown in sensor-controlled greenhouses. In the northwest, fish are raised in ponds dug in the desert sand. Further south, coffee beans are processed into premium brands. Meanwhile, on the northern prairies, high-quality beef cattle are the mainstay of modern supply chains. These rural industries are now linked to a broader initiative to modernize Chinese agriculture.
As China enters the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed that work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers is “of vital importance.” China should strive to make agriculture a major modernized sector and ensure modern living standards in rural areas so that farmers can enjoy a more prosperous life, Xi said at the annual Central Rural Work Conference last December.
The political orientation is explicit. The recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan call for the coordinated development of technology-driven, environmentally friendly, quality-driven and brand-driven agriculture into a modern pillar industry. These priorities have been detailed in Core Document No. 1 for 2026, which outlines measures to advance agricultural and rural modernization and promote comprehensive rural revitalization.
Adapted to local conditions
In the Dabie Mountains of Lu’an City, east China’s Anhui Province, the steep terrain once limited agriculture. Today, the valleys use an ecological cultivation model of Dendrobium officinale, a valuable medicinal plant. Supported by leading companies, the planted areas have exceeded 23,600 mu (approximately 1,573 hectares), feeding more than 2,600 business entities and creating employment for more than 22,000 people.
In the city of Wuzhou in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, hilly land has been transformed into large-scale tea plantations. Benefiting from favorable geography and climate, tea growing areas now exceed 400,000 mu, with annual production exceeding 40,000 tons and an expected overall production value of more than 30 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) in 2025.
Such examples are part of a broader trend in China. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China has supported 210 specialized industrial clusters, 250 modern agricultural industrial parks and 1,098 strong agricultural towns. Nationally, the major agricultural enterprises at the county level reached 94,000, including 2,250 at the national level.
“County-level industries that increase local income are a key way for farmers to increase their income locally,” said Zhong Yu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He noted that mechanisms such as order-based purchasing, stock dividends and local employment help farmers equitably share industrial growth.
Technology as advanced
In Yi County, North China’s Hebei Province, local persimmons were once sold only in season. Through collaboration with agricultural universities, the companies have developed techniques such as the “gradient cooling method” that extends shelf life from a few days to almost a year, enabling year-round supply. In Wenjiang district of Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province, strawberry factories equipped with AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) use hundreds of sensors to manage production, significantly increasing yields.
These micro-level changes reflect a broader political shift. Core Document No. 1 for 2026 called for improving the efficiency of agricultural science and technology innovation and, for the first time, explicitly encouraged wider application of drones, IoT and agricultural robots.
President Xi has repeatedly stressed that the key to agricultural modernization lies in scientific and technological progress and innovation. China has built a relatively comprehensive agricultural innovation system, including more than 800 research institutes, more than 120,000 researchers and about 400,000 basic agricultural technicians.
Li Jianjun, a professor at China Agricultural University, said the 15th Five-Year Plan period will be crucial in laying the foundation for fundamentally realizing socialist modernization. Accelerating the integration of technological innovation with agro-industrial innovation is essential to address long-standing weaknesses in rural development. He added that, done well, it can transform agriculture into a modern, more resilient, competitive and sustainable pillar industry.
SOURCE CGTN
