Smart farming boosts Guiyang’s rural vitalization

"Back when I raised free-range chickens at home, I had to get up early and work late every day to feed the chickens and clean the pens, but I barely earned any money in a year," Huang Yaomei, a resident of Xiaopo village, said. "Now I work at our Xiaopo Village Egg-Laying Chicken Breeding Base, where smart equipment helps reduce manual labor, and I can earn a salary of more than 4,000 yuan ($590) a month."

For Huang, this change in her livelihood reflects the achievements of the base jointly developed by State-owned Guiyang Agricultural Investment Group (GAIG) and the village.

In late 2023, Hongfeng Company, a subsidiary of GAIG, invested 61.11 million yuan to build a modern egg production base in Xiaopo village. The village joined the project through resource-based investment, allowing the village collective to receive a guaranteed annual dividend of 500,000 yuan.

The base has introduced its Egg-Laying Chain AI Large Model, with Internet of Things sensors collecting real-time data on temperature, humidity, ammonia levels, and feed intake, automatically adjusting the environment and providing precise feeding to improve production efficiency. An automated collection system also transfers eggs directly to the sorting area, where intelligent sorting lines complete grading and packaging.

Automated equipment sorts eggs at the base. [Photo/guiyang.gov.cn]

The base currently houses 313,000 laying hens, and once operating at full capacity, it is expected to achieve an annual output value of more than 57 million yuan.

The base has become a major supplier in Southwest and South China, with its eggs sold in supermarkets such as Freshippo and more than 4,800 egg packages shipped to Hong Kong each month.