Library of vegetable and crop stacks for smart agriculture in Xinjiang

A single bite of tomato and cucumber inside the Smart Agriculture Science and Technology Museum of Xinjiang Agricultural Expo Park was enough to reveal the ambition behind China’s agricultural transformation.

Beneath the enormous glass canopy of the facility, rows of emerald-green lettuce rise in perfect symmetry under carefully calibrated LED lights. Long white hydroponic pipes stretch across the vast hall like arteries carrying nutrients instead of blood.

Suspended tomato vines hang from towering steel stakes several metres high, their red fruits clustered neatly in rows, while cucumbers descend in disciplined vertical lines from overhead traction systems.

The atmosphere inside the greenhouse is unlike that of a conventional farm. There is no scent of soil, no muddy pathways, no signs of chemical spraying. Instead, the air is cool, clean and faintly humid, controlled entirely by intelligent environmental systems that continuously regulate temperature, moisture and carbon dioxide levels.

During a recent visit by a Bangladeshi media delegation to the Smart Agriculture Science and Technology Museum in Xinjiang, Chinese officials and researchers showcased how artificial intelligence, robotics, hydroponics and automated environmental control systems are reshaping the future of agriculture in one of China’s most climate-challenging regions.

While the journalists reacted to the crisp texture and natural sweetness of tomatoes and cucumbers, one official said, “This is what smart agriculture is trying to achieve.”

Completed in 2023, the 16,000-square metre facility was jointly developed by Xinjiang Agricultural Expo Park and China Agricultural University. The museum combines advanced greenhouse farming, vertical agriculture and AI-assisted management systems to produce vegetables year-round with minimal pesticide use and significantly reduced water consumption.

Chinese officials described the project as part of the country’s broader effort to modernise agriculture and strengthen food security through innovation. “This is not only about increasing production,” one official told visiting journalists. “It is also about producing safer, cleaner and higher-quality food for the people.”

Inside the greenhouse complex, rows of leafy vegetables, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are cultivated in a sterile, soilless environment using hydroponics and aeroponics. Environmental sensors continuously monitor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels and plant growth conditions in real time.

Officials said intelligent irrigation systems recycle and disinfect water and nutrient solutions, allowing water and fertiliser utilisation rates to exceed 95 per cent.

According to the management, vegetables can be harvested within about 25 days of sowing, allowing at least 10 production cycles each year. A 22-mu (1 mu ≈ 666.7 square metres) planting area reportedly produces around 330 tonnes of vegetables annually, generating output equivalent to more than 100 mu of conventional farmland.

The facility also uses vertical and multi-layer farming systems that dramatically increase land efficiency. Chinese researchers say the model is particularly important for regions facing land shortages, climate stress and water scarcity.

For countries like Bangladesh, where agricultural land is shrinking due to urbanisation and climate change, the Xinjiang model offers important lessons.

Bangladesh remains heavily dependent on traditional farming methods despite increasing pressure from rising temperatures, floods, salinity intrusion and unpredictable rainfall patterns.

Agricultural experts said technologies such as precision irrigation, controlled-environment farming and AI-based crop monitoring could help Bangladesh improve productivity while reducing dependence on excessive pesticide and water use.

The Xinjiang project also demonstrated how artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming central to modern farming.

Yan Ji, Operations Director of CAU Jinwang, said the facility integrates AI tools and “smart plus agriculture” approaches to improve cultivation quality and efficiency.

“We are using smart agriculture technology together with AI applications to make agriculture even smarter,” he said.

He explained that the facility uses AI-driven systems, including applications based on DeepSeek technology, to analyse crop conditions, monitor diseases and generate cultivation strategies.

“We input agricultural knowledge and field data into the system. It processes and integrates the information and then generates management plans and technical guidance,” he said.

According to him, the system can alert technicians about disease risks, monitor crop conditions and help determine harvesting schedules.

One of the most eye-catching technologies demonstrated during the visit was a robot dog designed to patrol greenhouse facilities.

The officials said the robotic system can inspect plant growth, monitor leaf conditions, collect environmental data and report information back to a central control system.

“It acts like a human assistant,” Yan Ji explained. “You can instruct it to inspect a tomato greenhouse, examine plant conditions and send the information back to the management centre.”

The project reflects China’s growing investment in AI-driven agricultural automation at a time when labour shortages and food security concerns are becoming global challenges.

They said the technology has already moved beyond experimental stages inside the greenhouse and is gradually being prepared for wider commercial application.

The economic dimension of the project is also significant. According to officials, the Smart Agriculture Science & Technology Museum, a modern agriculture industrial chain, generated annual sales exceeding six million yuan in 2024 while also serving as a technology demonstration centre for visitors, researchers and agricultural investors.

Products from the facility are supplied to high-end hotels and supermarkets in Urumqi and Changji and are also sold in Beijing and other Chinese cities.

Chinese officials said the vegetables meet national food safety and traceability standards, allowing consumers to verify cultivation histories and production processes digitally.

Officials claimed the vegetables are produced without chemical pesticides and contain higher nutritional value than conventionally grown produce.

For Bangladesh, where food safety concerns regularly emerge over pesticide use and chemical contamination, experts believe such traceability systems could eventually become an important area for bilateral agricultural cooperation.

Analysts say cooperation between Bangladesh and China in agriculture could expand significantly in coming years through technology transfer, training programmes and joint research initiatives.

Bangladesh has already collaborated with China in sectors including infrastructure, energy and digital connectivity.

Agriculture experts say smart farming could become another important area of partnership as Dhaka seeks to modernise food production systems and strengthen climate resilience.

By visiting the facility one can observe that technologies demonstrated in Xinjiang may not be immediately scalable across all farming areas in Bangladesh due to cost and infrastructure limitations.

However, they said pilot projects involving hydroponics, vertical farming, AI-based disease detection and smart irrigation could be introduced gradually in urban farming zones, research institutions and high-value crop sectors.

Experts also noted that Bangladesh’s dense population and limited land resources make efficient land use increasingly important.

China’s experience shows how technology can produce significantly higher agricultural output from smaller spaces while reducing labour intensity and environmental pressure.

Beyond technology, the Xinjiang visit also highlighted how agriculture is increasingly being viewed not only as a traditional rural activity, but as a strategic sector combining science, data, artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability.

For China, smart agriculture appears closely linked with national goals surrounding food security, technological innovation and quality of life improvement. For Bangladesh and many developing nations, the lessons may extend beyond machinery and AI systems.

(The writer, who recently visited Xinjiang, is the Diplomatic Correspondent of The New Nation.)