Nestled among southwest China's mist-shrouded peaks, Yunnan Province's banana farmers are rewriting centuries-old agricultural traditions with buzzing fleets of cargo drones. For generations, growers like Li Weimin carried 50kg banana bunches down terraced slopes – a perilous 3-hour daily trek that left spines bent and profits slim.
"My father broke two ribs falling here in 1998," Li told CGTN's Zhang Zhenni, gesturing at a near-vertical footpath. "Now my children study drone maintenance instead of backaches."
Since 2021, agricultural drones capable of lifting 40kg payloads have slashed transport times from hours to minutes. The airborne solution cuts post-harvest losses by 15% while enabling farmers to cultivate previously inaccessible plots. Provincial data shows drone-assisted farms increased yields by 30% last year.
This technological leap comes as Asian nations invest $4.8 billion annually in smart agriculture. Yunnan's experiment demonstrates how mountainous regions worldwide might balance ecological preservation with economic growth. For investors eyeing Asia's agritech sector, such innovations signal ripe opportunities in rural automation.
As dawn breaks over the Hengduan Mountains, the whirring symphony of propellers has become Yunnan's new morning chorus – proof that even Earth's most ancient landscapes can embrace the future.
