As the waves of the South China Sea brush the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, seeds imbued with technology and hope have eared and blossomed on Zhuhai’s fertile soil, bearing fruitful achievements of industrial integration.
On December 21, the six-day 2025 Zhuhai Seed Industry Carnival came to a close at the Guangdong (Zhuhai) Modern Seed Industry Development Center. With the theme of “Seeds Ignite Agricultural Prosperity, Wisdom Shapes the Future”, this grand event not only demonstrated and promoted more than 1,000 new varieties, technologies and achievements, attracting tens of thousands of citizens and tourists, but also built a high-end platform through a diversified model of professional exhibition + science popularization and interaction + industrial matchmaking to serve the “Million Project” and drive the collaborative innovation of the seed industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, injecting surging momentum into the rise of Zhuhai as a highland for seed industry innovation.
Three Core Sections, Outlining the Innovation Map of Modern Seed Industry
Breaking the logic of a single exhibition, this year’s Carnival constructed a panoramic innovation chain from gene to table and from technology to application scenarios. The three core sections and six exhibition areas systematically interpreted the complete connotation and future direction of the modern seed industry.
Stepping into the Food Crop Exhibition Hall, people can immediately feel the power of the seed industry – the “chip” of agriculture. More than 20 high-yield and high-quality rice varieties and over 40 characteristic corn varieties showcased the solid confidence of China in “holding its rice bowl firmly in its own hands”. In the Exhibition Area of Fine Vegetable Varieties and Cultivation Techniques, over 800 vegetable varieties covering more than 30 categories have enriched the residents’ “vegetable basket” with greater diversity. In the Fruit Tree Variety Exhibition Hall, premium seedlings including Golden Diamond Pineapple, blueberry, avocado and local high-quality lychee competed for attention on the same stage. On-site demonstrations of technologies such as top grafting for lychee varieties revealed the “secret code” for improving the quality and efficiency of characteristic agriculture.
The Health and Wellness Plant Exhibition Hall made its debut, gathering more than 200 characteristic achievements such as aromatic plants and homologous plants for both medicinal and edible purposes, outlining a new track for the integration of the big health industry and modern agriculture. Aligned with the construction needs of marine pastures, the Modern Fishery Exhibition Hall displayed 108 fishery varieties, systematically presenting the whole industrial chain innovation achievements from “a single seed to a whole fish”.
The Smart Agriculture Exhibition Area became the highlight of the event. Drones equipped with multispectral cameras realize real-time monitoring of crop growth and precision spraying of pesticides and fertilizers, improving efficiency by more than 30%. Advanced technologies such as molecular breeding and space breeding, combined with equipment including agricultural robots and intelligent irrigation systems, have painted a new picture of efficient, green and sustainable modern agriculture.
Integration of Diverse Ecosystems, Activating Industrial Momentum for Rural Revitalization
By promoting the integration of agriculture, culture and tourism as well as regional collaboration, this year’s Carnival transformed scientific and technological innovation into tangible industrial competitiveness and rural development capacity, presenting people with multiple possibilities of the “Seed Industry +” model.
In the Characteristic Agricultural Products Exhibition Hall for Agricultural Enterprises, a number of enterprises exhibited more than 60 kinds of characteristic agricultural products, covering Zhuhai annual fish, special rare birds, wetland crops, traditional food research and development and other products. “We focused on displaying new and high-quality vegetable varieties, independently developed healthy cultivation technologies, and our home gardening brand ‘Easy Grow’. Through the form of field observation + public tasting, consumers can experience the charm of agricultural science and technology up close,” said Zhao Lihua, Business Operations Director of Guangdong Seed Introduction and Service Company.
The Exhibition Hall for Collaborative Assistance Achievements highlighted a new pattern of openness and win-win cooperation. More than 200 kinds of agricultural and sideline products from Zunyi in Guizhou, Nyingchi in Xizang, Wushan in Chongqing, Maoming in Guangdong and other places were showcased collectively, presenting the fruitful results of east-west collaboration. It has effectively promoted innovation collaboration and market interconnection in the seed industry within the urban agglomeration on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, exploring a new path for the integrated development of regional agriculture.
The in-depth integration of agriculture, culture and tourism is also a distinctive feature of the event. Sessions such as appreciation, farming experience, science popularization and handcrafts were set up in the public interactive experience area, allowing citizens to feel the charm of agricultural science and technology through interesting experiences. Jinwan District successfully launched a one-day tour route named “A Journey of Vegetable Aroma, Lotus Charm and Fruit Delight”, connecting the Zhuhai Taiwan Farmers Pioneer Park and dozens of surrounding agricultural enterprises and farms, converting the exhibition traffic into sustainable rural tourism consumption. The themed activity of “Reminisce the Past, Present Family Treasures, and Talk about a New Chapter” held in Pingsha Town enabled an affectionate dialogue between local cultural context and the development of modern agriculture.
Dual Drive of Intellectual Support and Brand Building, Consolidating the Foundation of the Seed Industry Innovation Highland
The successful holding of this Carnival deeply reflects Zhuhai’s systematic thinking in building a seed industry innovation system – comprehensively consolidating the foundation for development by gathering high-end intellectual resources, smoothing transformation channels and building advantageous brands.
High-end think tanks empower industrial upgrading. During the event, the Zhuhai Modern Agricultural Development Center signed cooperation agreements with top institutions including South China Agricultural University, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, and Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering. The only “Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Experimental Demonstration Base for Aquaculture (Jinwan)” under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in the province’s fishery sector was unveiled. Four leading industry experts including Professor Luo Lijun, Dean of the Green Industry Research Institute for Water-saving and Drought-resistant Rice at South China Agricultural University, were appointed as Chief Experts of Zhuhai, providing intellectual support for seed industry innovation. In addition, a series of high-end lectures and six special farmer training sessions have trained a total of 208 people, realizing the organic combination of “the popularization of theoretical knowledge” and “skill improvement”.
Precise matchmaking accelerates the transformation of achievements. Through the model of field observation + public tasting + production and sales matchmaking, the event enabled face-to-face communication among large growers, purchasers and scientific research teams. A number of enterprises have successfully promoted new and high-quality varieties and supporting technologies through the exhibition platform, achieving a seamless connection from the exhibition stand to the farmland and from technology to the market.
The radiation influence of brands has been significantly enhanced. The event attracted in-depth reports from more than 40 media outlets, including China News Service, Farmers Daily and a number of Hong Kong and Macao media. Through the online live broadcasts and diversified communication matrix organized by Zhuhai Media Group, the online viewership reached 16,400 person-times, further amplifying Zhuhai’s innovative image in the seed industry and the city’s influence.
Seeds lay the foundation, wisdom leads the future. As a key link in the province’s “1+N” seed industry system, Zhuhai has held seed industry demonstration and promotion activities for ten consecutive years, emerging as an important window to showcase new technologies and achievements in the modern seed industry.
