Drones are being deployed for mountainous logistics in Fengjie County, Chongqing, to transport freshly harvested oranges from remote orchards to distribution points. The approach is being used to address access constraints linked to steep terrain in the region.
Fengjie is located in a mountainous area with terraced fields used for orange production. Farmers previously relied on manual transport to move harvested fruit downhill. "In the past, we relied on manual transport, which was not only time-consuming but also posed safety risks," said farmer Yang Minghua. He added that drone use reduces transport time and costs.
Before the introduction of drones, Yang said it took about half an hour to carry a basket of oranges on foot. With drone support, filled baskets are lifted from the orchard and flown to collection points in around 10 minutes. To meet demand from cities including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as export markets, the county has deployed more than 200 drones.
He Yi, director of Fengjie's strategic emerging industry development center, said drone-supported logistics has increased harvesting efficiency for navel oranges by more than 50 percent and reduced costs by about one-third.
Fengjie has expanded its navel orange planting area to 25,533 hectares. Output for 2025 is expected to exceed 500,000 tons. After harvest, fruit is sent to packing facilities for sorting and waxing before being loaded into insulated containers. For overseas distribution, shipments depart weekly from nearby airports.
Alongside physical logistics, the county is developing online sales channels using livestreaming. Local officials and producers are involved in promoting oranges directly to consumers. Shao Chenbing, an official in Shuangnian village, said during a livestream, "Our navel oranges grow by the Yangtze River and have plump, tender, and juicy flesh."
Village and town officials, together with local professionals, have formed livestreaming teams. These teams also guide farmers on account setup and broadcast formats. Ren Zhongying, a farmer from Shuangnian village, said sales channels have broadened. "In the past, we either waited for fruit dealers to come to the village or sold our oranges at county stalls," Ren said. "This year, village officials helped us with livestreaming sales, allowing us to sell up to 500 kg of oranges per day, with both prices and volumes higher than previous years."
Fang Gang, who returned to Daba village in Fengjie to focus on online sales, said livestreaming from orchards attracts consumer attention. "Livestreaming from the orchard works very well, with the majestic Three Gorges scenery and vast orange groves attracting many likes and much attention from netizens," he said. He added that he has built a following of more than 10,000 users and sells hundreds of tons of navel oranges annually through online channels.
Source: ChinaDaily
