China produces nearly 350 million tons of fruit annually, equivalent to one-third of global production. Rising domestic demand, linked to the increasing purchasing power of the middle and lower-middle classes, has made technological innovation in fruit production a state priority.
The "2024-28 Four-Year Smart Agriculture Plan" promotes the use of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, GPS satellites (Beidou), and national agricultural data platforms to consolidate food security. Precision agriculture, mechanization, and sensor technology are combined with IoT and real-time monitoring. In Guangdong and Maoming, farms use 5G sensors to track soil moisture, temperature, pH, and pest activity, enabling automatic irrigation and nutrition adjustments. Companies such as Nongbo Innovation and Haisheng Group offer IoT platforms with QR codes for each tree to improve traceability.
China also operates over 200 agricultural drones for spraying and surveys. Firms including XAG, FJ Dynamics, and EAVision develop robots for spraying, autonomous driving, and harvesting. Robotic pruning platforms using artificial vision and machine learning are being tested for apples, grapevines, and cherries. LiDAR-camera fusion allows fruit location with millimeter precision, supporting automated harvesting. At China Agricultural University, researchers developed AI glasses with augmented reality to identify diseases, guide pruning, and reduce errors in vineyards.
Blueberry production has grown more than tenfold in the past decade. By 2024, China had over 80 hectares in production, yielding more than 500 tons, making it the largest producer in Asia and among the largest globally. In Shandong, eight new varieties were developed, with earlier harvests, higher resistance, and 10% higher yields. Breeding programs now use AI, big data, and high-throughput phenotyping to shorten selection cycles.
Smart greenhouses in Huaining (Anhui) integrate IoT for automatic climate and soil management. Mobile monitoring enables one operator to oversee tens of thousands of plants, advancing harvests by up to two months and doubling yields compared to open field cultivation. In Qidong (Jiangsu), a 21.3-hectare farm with IoT sensors and controlled CO₂, managed by three workers, generates 200 million yuan (US$28 million) annually. In Langxi (Anhui), 3.3 hectares of greenhouse blueberries equipped with 5G allow irrigation and nutrition monitoring via mobile devices.
Research also includes drones with computer vision (YOLO model) to detect bushes and fruit, improving yield estimation, sampling, and logistics planning.
By 2030, the blueberry area is projected to reach 120 hectares with production above 900 tons. Growth in value-added products, including powders, juices, and cosmetics, and exports to Europe and the Middle East are expected.
Source: Blueberries Consulting