China’s Grain Industry Embraces Full-Chain Technological Upgrades, Setting A New Benchmark For Smart Food Security

May 30, 2025 – Changsha, China
The 2025 National Grain and Material Reserves Science and Technology Week officially kicked off on May 27 in Changsha, Hunan Province, showcasing a wave of advanced technologies reshaping China's grain industry from farm to table. Themed around intelligent innovation and sustainability, the event highlighted cutting-edge tools such as 3D thermal grain mapping systems, intelligent warehouse robots, and AI-driven toxin detectors-marking a transformation from traditional manual operations to digital precision management.

From Manual Labor to Smart Command: Grain Storage Goes Digital

China's grain output has consistently hit record highs, but the real challenge lies in ensuring post-harvest preservation. In the Lanxi Grain Industrial Park in Hunan, an autonomous grain sampling machine-resembling a two-story mechanical tower-now performs what used to take multiple workers 45 minutes in under 15 minutes, operated by just one technician.

This automated grain inspection system is one of ten key innovations officially released during the event by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NFSRA). Other highlights include a fully automatic mycotoxin detection device, capable of testing corn and wheat for multiple toxins simultaneously, with real-time cloud data uploads.

Alongside these smart devices, universities and research institutions are demonstrating robots for leveling and turning stored grains. These machines feature autonomous navigation, real-time mapping, and adaptive operation in dusty warehouse environments-significantly improving safety and efficiency.

 

As part of the country's broader food security strategy, China has been investing heavily in modernizing its grain supply chain:

• Over 1,200 grain storage enterprises have joined in upgrading warehouse infrastructure
• More than 34 regional public grain brands, such as Shanxi Millet and Jilin Rice, now represent premium Chinese grain globally
• Grain machinery upgrades under the 14th Five-Year Plan involved over 1,000 projects, with 33,000+ new equipment units deployed

Additionally, emergency preparedness is a growing focus. By the end of 2024, China had nearly 7,000 emergency grain processing companies with a daily capacity exceeding 1.7 million tons-enough to feed the entire country for two days in crisis.

Most notably, China's household grain loss rate has dropped from 8% to just 3% over the past decade, while state-owned grain depots maintain storage loss rates under 1%.

Technological solutions aren't limited to automation-they also reduce spoilage and energy consumption. For example, air-source heat pump drying systems ensure even heat distribution with less than 0.1% grain breakage, while reducing per-kilo drying costs below RMB 0.05.

Low-temperature storage has become a powerful weapon for grain quality preservation. Warehouses equipped with thermal monitoring cables automatically alert operators of temperature anomalies. One standout innovation from Chinese tech firm Zhongke Xinhe is an AI-powered insect monitoring system using UV light and image recognition to detect pest outbreaks a full month in advance, replacing manual sampling with automated warnings.

At the opening ceremony, Liu Huanxin, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the NFSRA, emphasized the theme of this year's event: "Empowering Grain and Reserve Development Through Scientific and Technological Talent."
He called for stronger integration between scientific research and industry application, faster commercialization of innovations, and expansion of pilot demonstration projects for green grain storage.

"Technology-driven loss reduction is the same as yield increase. Conserving grain is the same as increasing production," said Liu.

Read the full original report (in Chinese):
https://www.lswz.gov.cn/html/mtsy2025year/2025-05/30/content_288484.shtml

Source: China Business Herald, May 30, 2025, Edition 03