Mission Unlock | Ep 7: What one pear reveals about the future of farming

Editor's Note:

"Mission Unlock" uses real stories and everyday scenes to explain the development logic behind China's 15th Five-Year Plan. Through stories of industry, people and lived experience, it offers global audiences a more relatable, accessible look at China's next stage of development.

In Episode 7 of "Mission Unlock," Mina visits Dangshan county in east China's Anhui Province to investigate the transformation of modern agriculture, using the local pear industry as a representative case.

There, she meets Lin Yuan, a young entrepreneur who has returned to his hometown to modernize traditional farming with smart technologies. His efforts, however, are met with skepticism and resistance from local farmers, underscoring the importance of building trust during agricultural transformation.

As her investigation unfolds, Mina comes to realize that a single Dangshan pear represents far more than a standalone agricultural product. Behind it lies an integrated ecosystem encompassing seed innovation, smart agricultural equipment, digital governance and modern market distribution.

The essence of agricultural modernization is not technology itself, or new quality productive forces in themselves, but whether these new productive forces and the corresponding modes of production can genuinely reshape agricultural systems, earn the trust of farmers and sustainably translate into competitiveness.

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) states that China will prioritize agriculture and rural development, strengthen long-term mechanisms for comprehensive rural revitalization and accelerate the development of modern agriculture.