Drones are working alongside farmers in the fields of Xindu District, Chengdu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, racing against time to pick fresh spring vegetables and deliver them directly from farm to table.
Unlike in the past, these vegetables no longer wait for people or vehicles. They are delivered straight to small 'airports' set up in the fields. Waiting drones have become the first leg of this fresh produce relay.
"'Pick and deliver' is especially suitable for small-batch orders that require timeliness and freshness. It enables rapid transfer," said Gou Senlin, head of the low-altitude economy team at Sichuan Liuhang Agriculture Co., Ltd.
Loaded with spring vegetables, the drones fly a direct route of four kilometers and land precisely at the sorting center just five minutes later. Workers immediately begin sorting and packing, and by noon, these spring vegetable packages are loaded onto express trucks bound for destinations across China, arriving the same day within Sichuan and the next day outside the province.
"This 'air express line' captures the most valuable freshness window for agricultural products and makes for our modern order-based agriculture, characterized by small batches, multiple shipments, and high efficiency," said Mao Zaiyou, deputy section chief of logistics development and integrated transport at the Xindu District Transport Bureau.
According to the company, a four-kilometer drone flight costs about 15 to 20 yuan (two to three U.S. dollars), and each drone can carry up to 30 kilograms.
"This spring vegetable season, we have already completed 90,000 orders," said Gou.
Since forming its drone team last year, the company has expanded its business from Xindu to several surrounding counties and cities, with 80 percent of its services now supporting agriculture. From crop protection and seeding to transportation, drones are becoming integral to every stage of farming.
So far, Chengdu has attracted over 500 companies in the low-altitude economy sector, with its low-altitude aircraft products achieving full coverage from the 10-kilogram class to the ton class.
"To advance agricultural modernization, we are promoting the integration of technology by combining drones with the Internet of Things and big data, achieving full traceability from field to table and ensuring greater freshness. These 'flying new farm tools' will be key to developing new quality productive forces in agriculture during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030)," said Li Yunfei, director of the Agricultural Mechanization Division at Chengdu's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.
Drones deliver fresh vegetables from farm to table in Chengdu
Discussions between Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir and the Iranian leadership during Munir's official visit to Iran over the past 24 hours have resulted in encouraging progress towards a final understanding, the Pakistani military said in a statement on Saturday.
Munir has concluded a short but "highly productive" visit to Iran, during which he held high-level meetings with Iranian leadership, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The meetings were part of ongoing mediation efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and constructive engagement amid regional tensions, the statement added.
Munir met the Iranian president, parliament speaker, foreign minister and interior minister during the visit, the statement added.
The discussions focused on expediting the consultative process aimed at supporting regional peace and stability and reaching a conclusive agreement, the military statement said.
The Iranian leadership appreciated Pakistan's role in facilitating dialogue and promoting a peaceful settlement of regional issues, according to the ISPR.
Iranian media reported Saturday that Munir held separate meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to a presidency statement, Pezeshkian said that his country seeks to safeguard national interests and remains highly cautious in negotiations with the United States.
Pezeshkian cited Washington's repeated breach of commitments, attacks on Iran amid talks, and targeted killings of its officials as the basis for widespread public mistrust.
Under such circumstances, Iran has pursued negotiations relying on its "brotherly relations" with friendly countries, including Pakistan, "but our main goal is to solely safeguard the Iranian nation's interests through appropriate solutions," Pezeshkian said. War has never been in anyone's interest and will only bring losses to the region and the world, he added.
According to Iran's state television, Ghalibaf and Munir discussed the latest developments in ongoing negotiations during their meeting on Saturday.
The parliamentary speaker emphasized that Iran would not compromise on matters concerning national sovereignty and the rights of its people. He added that Iran's armed forces have undergone reorganization and restructuring during the ceasefire period, warning that any U.S. attempt to reignite conflict would face even heavier consequences.
Araghchi and Munir held two rounds of talks, focusing on measures to prevent further deterioration of regional security. Following their second meeting, Munir departed Tehran, concluding his diplomatic visit.
Pakistani army chief's meetings with Iran make encouraging progress to promote de-escalation
