The development of agricultural mechanization is a long and ongoing process.
In recent years, China's agricultural mechanization has achieved remarkable results, and in the future, it will continue to advance toward intelligent and green development.
The following is a detailed introduction:
Current Development Status
Mechanization levels have significantly improved: In 2022, the national comprehensive mechanization rate for crop cultivation and harvesting reached 73.11%, an increase of 1.08 percentage points over the previous year.
Mechanized sowing rates for wheat, corn, and rice reached 98.6%, 97.7%, and 62.9%, respectively, while mechanized harvesting rates reached 99.5%, 88.2%, and 94.5%, respectively.
By 2025, the national comprehensive mechanization rate for crop cultivation and harvesting will exceed 75%, with rates for the three major staple crops, wheat, corn, and rice, reaching 97%, 91%, and 88%, respectively, essentially achieving full mechanization.
Agricultural machinery and equipment are constantly being upgraded: a number of landmark complete equipment have achieved breakthroughs, including the entry into small-scale production of pneumatic electric-driven high-speed precision seeders, 580-horsepower forage harvesters, large square balers, and industrial tomato harvesters, breaking the long-standing reliance on imports.
Meanwhile, domestically produced intelligent equipment such as chick beak trimming robots and facility inspection robots are beginning to be used in large-scale farms.
Supportive policies are being continuously improved: The "Implementation Opinions on Agricultural Machinery Purchase and Application Subsidies 2024-2026" were issued, further promoting the "preferential subsidies for superior machinery" and "both import and export" policies, with a focus on supporting high-end intelligent agricultural machinery and agricultural machinery suitable for hilly and mountainous areas.
At the same time, subsidies for agricultural machinery scrapping and replacement will be increased, with a wider range of scrapped machinery and higher subsidy standards.
Furthermore, the central government has allocated funds to support conservation tillage on the black soils of Northeast China.
Development Trends
Intelligent and Unmanned Operations:
Agricultural machinery will deeply integrate 5G, Beidou navigation, the Internet of Things, big data, and AI technologies, enabling everything from autonomous driving to fully unmanned operations. Big data analysis of soil, climate, and crop data generates personalized farming plans, reducing resource waste and improving the precision and efficiency of agricultural production.
Large-Scale and Integrated Systems: With the growth of large-scale farms, agricultural machinery will evolve towards medium- and large-scale models to meet the needs of large-scale agricultural production.
At the same time, we will promote integrated solutions combining agricultural machinery, agronomy, and information technology, covering the entire farming, management, and harvesting process, reducing losses in transitions and improving the overall efficiency of agricultural production.
Green and Energy-Saving Technology Breakthroughs: New energy agricultural machinery, such as electric tractors and solar irrigation equipment, will gradually replace fuel-powered engines, reducing carbon emissions and operating costs.
Furthermore, technologies such as turbocharging and lightweight materials will optimize fuel consumption, improve energy efficiency, and meet environmental requirements.
Regional Adaptation and Customization: Targeting the diverse topography and crop characteristics of different regions, we will develop specialized models, such as small crawler harvesters and high-clearance sprayers, to meet the agricultural production needs of diverse areas, such as hilly and mountainous areas and southern paddy fields. Furthermore, we will support the rapid replacement of agricultural machinery functional modules to adapt to different crops and planting patterns.
