In the hometown of litchis, innovation is in the air as good news arrives. Recently, new technology using drones to assist in picking and transporting litchis made its debut at the Maoming Litchi Culture Consumption Carnival, signaling the gradual shift of the "litchi economy" towards the "low-altitude economy."
This also marks the first attempt to directly apply drones to assist in the picking and transportation of litchis in orchards. This application shortens the time required to transport litchis from the mountain orchards to collection points. After being picked by farmers, the freshly harvested litchis are delivered directly by drones to the pre-processing centers at the orchard's edge. From there, they are quickly dispatched nationwide through express delivery services.
With continuous upgrades in litchi preservation methods and the extension of their freshness duration, the sales radius of litchis has been expanding. Currently, litchis are transported from the orchard to the airport using refrigerated trucks and planes, reaching 188 major cities across the country within 48 hours. There are already 1,000 convenient express collection points set up at the orchards.
In the future, drone transport routes among Maoming, Zhanjiang, Yangjiang, and Hainan will be opened, enabling urgent cross-city deliveries within half a day. This development will boost e-commerce, allowing litchis to be harvested and delivered on the same day.
Planner | Cao Si
Coordinator | Zhang Zhe, Liu Zikui, Li Hengdan
Text | Yang Jinfeng from Nanfang Plus
Poster Copywriter | Li Hengdan, Deng Wei
Video | Zhang Ruiwei, Chen Mingji, Wingheng
Editor | Monica, Clarice, James
