In the crisp autumn air of Fuhan township, Gansu province, tens of thousands of roses are flourishing in an automated smart greenhouse, part of the Flower Port project initiated by Linxia Yinong Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Investment Co. Spanning about 200,000 square meters in Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, the project, launched in October last year, has cultivated approximately 1.5 million rose seedlings to date.
Equipped with modern agricultural technologies, including an automatic temperature and humidity control system and an integrated smart irrigation and fertilization system, this facility has earned the local moniker of “rose gigafactory.” With its average elevation of 2,000 meters and abundant sunlight in a dry climate, the prefecture proves to be an ideal location for rose cultivation.
The Flower Port project, comprising three smart greenhouses, has created over 500 jobs for the locals. Xu Shuqin, a 32-year-old production-line worker, is among those benefiting from this initiative. Her tasks involve delicately placing thornless roses into paper boxes, and she expresses satisfaction with her job, highlighting the surge in rose orders recently.
The average annual salary for workers at the Flower Port project is 45,000 yuan ($6,276), marking a significant improvement over incomes in traditional farming. The success of the project is underscored by a recent shipment of fresh-cut roses to Moscow, where they were well-received in local flower markets. Russian business owner Ageev Rinad, with over a decade in the flower trade, has visited the Flower Port multiple times and recently ordered 200,000 fresh-cut roses, transported via overland routes through Xinjiang and Kazakhstan.
This overland transportation method marks a milestone for local flower and plant exports. The project has not only bolstered the income of local farmers turned industrial workers but has also led to international exports, with flowers from two companies in the prefecture reaching markets in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, meeting the growing global demand for their blooms.
