A farmer harvests cherry tomatoes at the intelligent greenhouse of the Yuanhongwanjia smart agriculture base in Tongzhou district, Nantong, Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: wxtzfb]

Through advanced cold-chain logistics, the Yuanhongwanjia smart agriculture base in Shizong town, Nantong, supplies 3 to 4 metric tons of freshly harvested cherry tomatoes daily to premium supermarkets across cities such as Shanghai and Suzhou.

The success of the agriculture base indicates that the vegetable sector in Tongzhou is undergoing a transformation from traditional cultivation to a full industrial chain approach.

Thanks to Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the base's greenhouses is adjustable, enhancing the photosynthetic efficiency of vegetables by 30 percent.

This has given rise to some remarkable benefits. For example, the time between sowing and harvesting lettuce has been slashed to just 35 days, with yields reaching 12,000 kilograms per mu (about 0.07 hectares).

To ensure the high quality of its vegetables, Tongzhou has established a full-chain traceability system. By attaching a QR code to each batch of products, any issues that occur from the farm to the table are detectable.

This dedication to quality has enhanced the reputation of Tongzhou's vegetables, giving it a 60-percent market share in Nantong. Cherry tomatoes can now be found on Freshippo's shelves. More than 700 enterprises, including Starbucks, have established partnerships with the district for its customized salad products.

Moving forward, Tongzhou is committed to advancing digital agriculture and achieving comprehensive smart management of its 56,000 mu of greenhouse facilities. Meanwhile, the district aims to nurture five vegetable processing enterprises, each with annual revenues topping 100 million yuan ($13.82 million).