High-tech agricultural corridor drives ecology, economy and innovation

Shanghai's Chongming district, the city's largest rural area, is spearheading the Yangtze River Delta Agricultural Silicon Valley initiative, aiming to create a high-tech agricultural innovation hub.

An aerial view shows the Chenyao Highway high-tech agricultural belt. [Photo/WeChat account: shchongming]

As a key part of the initiative, the Chenyao Highway high-tech agricultural belt developed in Zhongxing town stretches 10 kilometers. It focuses on seed agriculture, facility agriculture, and bio-agriculture, exploring a new path for modern urban agriculture development with a foundation in sustainability, a core in technology, and a goal of making the community prosperous.

With 16 major projects underway, the belt is set to generate an annual output of 690 million yuan ($101 million) and provide over 900 jobs once fully operational.

The facility of the Chongming White Goat Breeding Research Center focuses on expanding the high-quality local breed through technology. [Photo/WeChat account: shchongming]

Notable projects include the Wanhe Smart Sheep Farming, which utilizes "sheep facial recognition" and "digital twin" systems to enhance the breeding efficiency of the renowned Chongming white goat by sevenfold. Meanwhile, Shanghai Hengze Enterprise Development Co has introduced cutting-edge AI systems for mushroom cultivation, significantly reducing labor costs and enhancing production efficiency.

A robotic arm developed by Hengze carefully picks mushrooms. [Photo/WeChat account: shchongming]

The Belt also emphasizes ecological sustainability through circular agriculture, converting agricultural waste into resources. The Zhongxing button mushroom factory, for instance, uses agricultural waste as substrate, producing 6,000 metric tons of mushrooms annually and generating 20,000 tons of organic fertilizer.

Banana trees thrive in a high-tech greenhouse along the corridor. [Photo/WeChat account: shchongming]

To support these initiatives, the Chongming fresh goods port has established a robust cold chain supply network, ensuring that fresh produce reaches urban markets within three hours. This development not only revitalizes unused farmland but also boosts local employment, with land transfers and cooperative models increasing farmers' incomes.