Digitalization powers ahead with agricultural development in Huaxi

People work in the digital agricultural industrial park in Huaxi district. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

In recent years, Huaxi district in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has built the first digital agriculture industrial park in the province to promote the development of the edible fungi industry.

The digital agriculture industrial park has introduced advanced edible fungi cultivation technology and cultivation equipment at home and abroad and established automated production lines, achieving the automated management of the entire mushroom production process, from raw material storage to picking, sorting and packaging.

Compared to traditional agriculture, which is affected by weather and climate, the automated factory can operate year-round by controlling the temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and light.

In addition, an intelligent PLC controlling system can monitor equipment and the indoor environment in real time and immediately send alerts to relevant personnel. 

Since the start of trial production in February this year, the industrial park has been able to produce 4 metric tons to 5 tons of mushrooms per day. It strives to reach 40 to 45 tons per day by November and generate 150 million yuan ($20.96 million) per year after it begins operating at full capacity.

The industrial park has also created jobs for locals, transforming them from regular farmers into skilled workers.

Huaxi plans to cooperate with the Huaxi Characteristic Food Industrial Park to develop more mushroom-related deep-processed products and combine the integrated development of agriculture, culture and tourism to further expand and strengthen the digital agricultural industry.