In the vast, fertile landscapes of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, a technological revolution is underway, transforming traditional farming practices and securing the region’s status as the country’s largest agricultural producer. An aerial drone photo captured on October 12, 2024, showcases the modern face of agriculture in Heilongjiang, with agricultural machines working in harmony with the land at a farm of Beidahuang Group, the world’s largest State-owned farm group.
Heilongjiang’s unique geographical advantages, particularly its location within one of the world’s three major black soil belts, have long made it a prime area for corn cultivation and livestock farming. This year, the province’s total grain output hit a record 80 billion kilograms, marking the 15th consecutive year that Heilongjiang has topped China’s grain production charts. This output accounts for 11.3 percent of the country’s total, underscoring the province’s critical role in national food security. As Heilongjiang Governor Liang Huiling noted, “One out of every nine bowls of rice nationwide comes from Heilongjiang.”
The province is not resting on its laurels. Instead, it is leveraging technology to enhance high-quality agricultural development. Technological innovation is at the heart of Heilongjiang’s agricultural strategy. With 78 higher education institutions and 120 independent research institutes, including four national key laboratories focused on agriculture, the province is tackling core technologies and accelerating the application of research outcomes. Agricultural technology contributes 70.8 percent to the province’s farming sector, a testament to the effectiveness of this approach.
Preserving the black soil, which Liang described as the “panda of arable land” due to its high nutrient content, is another priority. Most of China’s black soil is found in the northeast, making the region crucial for national food security. Last year, Heilongjiang developed 693,333 hectares of high-standard farmland, integrating soil improvement with windbreak forest networks. The province has nearly 1.33 million hectares of such farmland, the most in China. This year, it aims to build nearly 780,000 hectares more.
Beidahuang Group, a key player in Heilongjiang’s agricultural landscape, is at the forefront of this technological transformation. The group is accelerating informatization, digitalization, intelligence, and unmanned farming. Yu Jia’ao, Party secretary of Beidahuang’s Baoquanling branch, highlighted the group’s collaboration with the Harbin Institute of Technology and Northeast Agricultural University to establish a national key laboratory for smart agricultural technology and information. Currently, 40 percent of Beidahuang’s agricultural machinery is equipped with automatic driving technology, and more than 90 percent of its farms collect field data through sensors, shifting from weather-dependent farming to data-driven operations.
Yu urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to support soybean research in Heilongjiang, including the construction of a soybean seed base and coordination with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences to accelerate the development of a soybean research center. Agriculture Minister Han Jun, who attended the discussion, responded that the ministry had approved the soybean seed base project and was working with relevant departments to commence construction. He added that a soybean research center in Heihe city had been included in the ministry’s project list, with an engineering consulting firm handling preliminary design and budget reviews.
The implications of these developments are significant. By embracing technology, Heilongjiang is not only enhancing its agricultural productivity but also ensuring the sustainability of its precious black soil. This approach sets a benchmark for other agricultural regions in China and beyond, demonstrating how technological innovation can drive high-quality agricultural development and food security.
