Spreading farming expertise clip by clip

Chinese agricultural technicians are using short video platforms as a way to share valuable insight on crop diseases and yields. The practice has proved to be very popular with farmers.

"Has the rice been sprayed with pesticides?" Zhao Ya asked as he squatted down to talk to a group of farmers in a short clip he posted on the video-sharing platform Douyin.

Zhao is the head of an agricultural technology station and a sci-tech commissioner at Fengtai county in Anhui province. He registered his video account in 2018 and has used it to promote agricultural technology ever since, focusing on pest and disease prevention, wheat and rice cultivation, and high-yield techniques.

To date, he has posted more than 600 short videos lasting from one to three minutes, which include giving directions on the best pesticide application period, and reminding the farmers to observe the growth of rice in fields to ensure prompt disease control.

He now has over 9,600 followers, with one of his most popular videos amassing 100,000 views.

These clips, produced to promote the topics rather than to generate profit, are favored by farmers as a new digital farming tool. They are an engaging and accessible way to share knowledge and expertise with a wider audience, transforming the way farming information is disseminated.

Zuo Zhongjun, a grain farmer in Yingshang county, Anhui, is among the beneficiaries. In February this year, the wheat greening period, Zuo used some of the tips shared by Zhao in his videos to reduce waterlogging.

Many agricultural technology workers like Zhao are using short video platforms to give agricultural technology more exposure. In 2023, approximately 27.8 million agricultural technology videos were posted on Douyin, clocking up 120.6 billion views.

The China Rural Distance Education Network even runs an event with Douyin to promote advanced agricultural technology. Since it was launched in 2022, it has engaged 1,840 agricultural technicians and 10 scientists, and released more than 40,000 videos.

"The short videos are concise and interactive, and farmers can watch and learn on demand," says Chen Yangfen, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

"The platform's intelligent recommendation mechanism can help improve the allocation efficiency of agricultural technology supply and demand," says Chen.

Working to promote agricultural technology for 27 years, Zhao finds it rewarding that his videos are viewed and liked.

Xu Mingju is an associate professor at the modern agriculture department of Linyi Vocational University of Science and Technology in Shandong province. He began giving agriculture lectures online more than 10 years ago.

In January, Xu won an agricultural technology short video competition. With more than 2,300 short videos across his online accounts, he has 357,000 followers.

At the very beginning, he produced the videos by himself. As more followers joined his channel, he expanded his outfit and now employs a team of 10 people, including teachers and students.

Team members value the combination of theory with practice, and are driven by a desire to provide practical and reliable solutions. Their videos have helped farmers solve problems with fruit tree planting, pruning, pest control, and fruit marketing.

"The videos can introduce the latest agricultural technology and ideas to farmers," Xu says.

The Linyi Vocational University of Science and Technology has trained 800 students in modern agricultural technology since the major was launched in 2020.

Xinhua