Latest agricultural products and eye-catching new technologies drew crowds at a celebration in Zaoyang City of central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday to mark the country's ninth Farmer's Harvest Festival.
The festival is the first national-level festival created specifically for the country's farmers. This year's festival fell on Wednesday.
Launched in 2018, the festival coincides with the Autumnal Equinox each year, which is one of the 24 solar terms on the Chinese lunisolar calendar and usually falls between Sept. 22 and 24 during the country's agricultural harvest season.
Guided by the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, harvesters can collect rice autonomously, an upgraded approach to farming that is being promoted in the area.
"They can automatically drive from the garage to the field and, with a single click, enter the field and start harvesting. They can automatically turn during operation," said Niu Cong, an agricultural machinery operator.
In a peach orchard next door, robots were busy picking fruit. The harvest then goes through sorting machines, which classify the peaches according to different quality standards.
"The harvesting equipment was just introduced this year. With labor costs rising, these machines can significantly reduce the cost of hiring workers," said Bao Xue, general manager of Xiangyang Origin Technology Co., Ltd.
With just a glimpse of this year's festival, it is clear to see that the face of harvesting is changing. It is no longer just about how much farmers can grow, but also how technology can help them grow smarter.
Modern agriculture takes center stage at harvest festival celebration in China
