Corn becomes cash cow in NE China's Jilin

At the Jizhe High-Quality Entrepreneurship Park in the Lishu Economic Development Zone, Lishu county, northeast China's Jilin Province, the workshop of Shengran Food Co., Ltd. hums with activity. Ears of fresh corn pass through peeling, washing, steaming, packaging and sterilization, completing the journey from field to finished product in about an hour.

Photo shows a fully automated corn washing production line of Shengran Food Co., Ltd. at the Jizhe High-Quality Entrepreneurship Park in the Lishu Economic Development Zone, Lishu county, northeast China's Jilin Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Yang)

Lishu is one of China's leading corn production bases. Shengran Food Co., Ltd. has signed long-term supply agreements with five local cooperatives and more than 300 farming households, covering over 2,000 hectares of farmland.

"The company provides seeds and technical guidance, while farming households follow standardized cultivation protocols, enabling a finished product yield of up to 95 percent," said Zhang Jun, head of the company. Under its procurement program, the company helps local farmers increase their annual income by more than 3,000 yuan (about $442.78) per hectare.

This year, the company partnered with nearly 2,000 farming households, cultivating 30,000 mu (2,000 hectares) of corn, while creating more than 1,000 local jobs.

A worker loads packaged corn into a high-temperature sterilization unit in the factory of Shengran Food Co., Ltd. at the Jizhe High-Quality Entrepreneurship Park in the Lishu Economic Development Zone, Lishu county, northeast China's Jilin Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Yang)

Since launching production in June 2022, the company has grown its annual output value to nearly 300 million yuan, with annual sales ranking among the top three nationwide. Its third phase project is now fully operational, equipped with 43 sets of intelligent equipment and fully automated production lines.

"With the third phase in operation, daily production capacity has reached 600,000 ears of corn, while annual capacity has increased from 150 million to 210 million ears. Annual output value is expected to reach 400 million to 500 million yuan," Zhang said.

Inside the AI-powered livestreaming studio of the company, 80 sets of equipment operate simultaneously as real-time sales figures flash across monitoring screens. AI hosts introduce products around the clock and automatically respond to viewers' comments.

"Just two staff members can oversee the entire operation, significantly reducing operating costs," Zhang said. The system was launched in June this year. At peak performance, it processes up to 100,000 orders a day, while its best-selling product has surpassed 3 million cumulative orders.

In the past, the company relied primarily on offline sales through provincial distributors. Today, online channels account for 60 percent of sales, with offline channels making up the remaining 40 percent. The company sells through more than 1,000 online stores across platforms including Tmall, JD.com, Douyin and Kuaishou, combining human-hosted and AI-powered livestreaming.

A livestream host promotes fresh corn inside the AI-powered livestreaming studio of Shengran Food Co., Ltd. at the Jizhe High-Quality Entrepreneurship Park in the Lishu Economic Development Zone, Lishu county, northeast China's Jilin Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Siyue)

The company plans to establish more than 10 directly operated sales branches across China. In 2025, the company began working with overseas partners, taking Jilin's fresh corn to international markets.

The company is already looking ahead. Its fourth phase project is in the pipeline to develop corn-based complementary foods for mothers and infants.

"There is currently no production line of this kind in Jilin," Zhang said. The company is also developing pure corn juice, with R&D expected to be completed this year and the product slated for launch next year.