Yunnan’s Blueberry Industry Gains Tech-Driven Momentum for High-Quality Development

Fields of blueberries stretch across Yunnan, with farmers bustling to tend to their crops as the sweet, blue fruits ripen and herald new economic value. From March 11 to 13, the Training on High-Quality Development of Yunnan’s Blueberry Industry and Soilless Cultivation Tail Liquid Recovery Technology (Kunming Session) was held in Shilin County. This event not only delivered precise technical guidance but also marked a pivotal turning point for the province’s blueberry industry as it shifts from scale expansion to quality enhancement, injecting strong technological momentum into its high-quality development journey.

Nestled under the unique light and heat resources of the Tropic of Cancer and blessed with the diverse climate of the low-latitude plateau, Yunnan has blazed a distinctive path in blueberry cultivation. In 2025, the province’s blueberry planting area reached 400,000 mu (approximately 26,666 hectares), with an output of about 350,000 tonnes. Among this, 80% came from facility cultivation, securing Yunnan’s position as the nation’s leading blueberry producer with the largest industrial scale. The industry has formed a comprehensive layout covering southern, central, and western Yunnan, with all core indicators leading the country. Simultaneously, it has driven employment for hundreds of thousands of people locally, emerging as a brilliant showcase of Yunnan’s plateau characteristic agriculture.

However, behind the rapid industrial expansion, several pressing challenges have surfaced. Ye Zhenyou, a fourth-level researcher at the Kunming Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, noted, “As a major blueberry-producing area in Yunnan, Kunming has established a large-scale development pattern and become an important growth pole for plateau characteristic agriculture. Yet, it now faces practical challenges such as insufficient variety innovation and an imperfect green production system.”

Variety serves as the “chip” of the industry, and independent and controllable variety rights are the foundation of high-quality blueberry development. Xiong Yunlong, Secretary of the Party Branch and Deputy Director of the Cash Crop Station in Shilin County, acknowledged, “Currently, the intellectual property rights of many blueberry varieties are held abroad, and the associated fees are high. It is extremely urgent to breed independent varieties.” In terms of green production, the widespread adoption of soilless cultivation has led to concerns about random tail liquid discharge, which not only wastes water and nutrients but also poses environmental pressures. Wang Weizhen, General Manager of (Kunming) Liyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd., pointed out, “Many farmers lack scientific management techniques, with obvious shortcomings in variety selection, water and fertilizer regulation, and green prevention and control.”

Addressing these pain points and strengthening technological empowerment are crucial to Yunnan’s blueberry industry moving toward high-quality development. Chen Rui, Director of the Yunnan Flower Technical Training and Promotion Center, stated, “Going forward, based on the actual industrial situation, we will conduct full-coverage training sessions across the province’s 7 major blueberry-producing areas. At the same time, we will provide public welfare testing services to promote the implementation of technological achievements.”

The training in Shilin County brought together agricultural technicians, experts, and farmers, focusing on core technologies such as soilless cultivation tail liquid recovery, precision water and fertilizer management, and independent variety breeding. Practical demonstrations and on-site exchanges allowed participants to gain in-depth understanding of operational details, effectively bridging the gap between technical theory and field application.

Yunnan’s blueberry industry is accelerating its transformation. Through large-scale promotion of soilless cultivation technology, construction of green production standards, and strengthening of variety research and development, the province is steadily advancing the upgrade from “scale first” to “quality first”. Meanwhile, the industry is exploring diversified sales channels, integrating with rural tourism, and building regional public brands to enhance its market competitiveness and create greater value for farmers.

With continuous technological innovation and policy support, Yunnan’s blueberry industry is poised to embrace a more vibrant future. The technical training held in Shilin County has laid a solid foundation for the industry’s high-quality development, enabling more farmers to benefit from advanced technologies and achieve both production increase and income growth, thus contributing to the revitalization of rural areas in Yunnan.