As 700,000 acres of medicinal herbs reach harvest season in Min County, known as the "Millennial Herbal Town," a new scene unfolds in its fields—drones swiftly transporting fresh seedlings.
At dawn, with mist still lingering over the 2,800-meter-high Linshan Village in Lüjing Town, drone operators Yang Jun’en and his team begin their routine. Two agricultural drones take off smoothly, following preset routes to deliver bags of tender angelica seedlings directly to waiting vehicles. The entire process is safe, efficient, and takes less than two minutes.
"It used to be backbreaking work—hauling loads with cattle or carrying them ourselves," said Li Xingjun, a local farmer, pointing at the ascending drone with a smile. "Now, drones make it effortless. What took us two to three days to transport manually—over 300 bags of seedlings—is done in just one morning. It saves time, labor, and reduces losses."
The shift from manual labor to "cloud-based operations" has also impressed farmer Guo Dongpeng. "We barely need to lift a finger. The drone drops the bags right onto the truck, neatly stacked with a simple adjustment. It’s far more cost-effective than hiring laborers."
For Yang Jun’en, such "aerial express" services are no longer novel. His team provides year-round assistance—from spring planting and summer pest control to autumn harvesting and transport—offering farmers a one-stop solution.
"Since the harvest began, we’ve served 10 townships, delivering over 1,000 tons of goods. Orders come in daily," said Yang, who heads Gansu Junhong Technology Co., Ltd., while maneuvering a drone.
"Drone transport solves the 'last-mile' challenge in mountainous herb cultivation," explained an official from Min County’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau. Through an "enterprise + cooperative + farmer" model, the county has trained two drone piloting institutions and one cooperative, with over 150 drones now in operation.
Located at the intersection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Loess Plateau, and Western Qinling Mountains, Min County’s terrain is 88.8% mountainous, with only 11.2% arable land. High costs, low efficiency, and a lack of smart farming tools have long hindered agricultural progress.
To address this, Min County has seized opportunities to promote "technology-driven agriculture," expanding smart farming initiatives. The county offers mechanization training, subsidies for farm equipment purchases, and supports local high-tech agricultural machinery R&D, aiming for comprehensive, high-quality mechanization.
"We’ll enhance services in training, certification, maintenance, and technical support to help farmers master new skills and ideas, cultivating a new generation of tech-savvy farmers," Yang added.
From traditional toil to drone-assisted farming, Min County is reshaping agriculture with technology, painting a future of stronger farms, prettier villages, and wealthier farmers. Currently, the county hosts 189 agricultural machinery cooperatives, with 31,684 machines in use. In 2025, subsidies covered 10,850 units, benefiting 7,920 households with ¥27.95 million in funding.
"Through policy guidance, training, and expanded applications, we’ll integrate drones into a 'sky-land-human-machine' smart farming system, fueling rural revitalization with technology," said Kong Dejian, head of Min County’s Agricultural Mechanization Promotion Station.
Comments