In the hilly regions of southern my country, with the large-scale development of specialty agriculture such as citrus, tea, and traditional Chinese medicine, small tractors are becoming an essential product for farmers. In Jinshiqiao Town, Longhui County, Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, a small red tractor is busy plowing the land in farmer Li Xiangyang's citrus orchard. "Our area is entirely mountainous, with small, uneven plots, making it impossible for large agricultural machinery to operate. Plowing used to be entirely manual labor, taking two days to work one acre, and it was exhausting. Now, this small 20-horsepower tractor can plow three acres in half a day, and it can also be hooked up to a weeder and transporter. It's used for plowing in the spring, weeding in the summer, and transporting fruit in the fall.
I bought it last year for 32,000 yuan, and the government subsidized me 8,000 yuan. It's a fantastic deal," Li Xiangyang explained to reporters while operating the tractor. The head of the Agricultural Machinery Management Section of the Longhui County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau told reporters that 85% of the county's terrain is mountainous and hilly, and the suitability rate for traditional large agricultural machinery is less than 30%. In recent years, with the expansion of specialty agricultural industries, farmers' demand for small agricultural machinery has increased significantly. "In 2023, county-wide sales of small tractors reached 1,200 units, a 48% increase from 2022. In the first quarter of this year, sales exceeded 500 units, a year-on-year increase of 52%, with models under 20 horsepower accounting for over 70% of these units," the section chief showed reporters, presenting sales data.
In response to the topographical characteristics of hilly areas, many domestic agricultural machinery companies have adjusted their product development directions. The head of R&D at an agricultural machinery company explained that they have established a dedicated team to develop agricultural machinery for hilly terrain. They have implemented a number of adaptations on small tractors: optimizing the chassis structure to reduce the minimum turning radius to 3 meters, improving mountain maneuverability; reinforcing the tire tread on the drive wheels to increase grip when climbing, ensuring stable operation on slopes up to 25 degrees; and designing a multi-functional implement interface that allows for quick switching between over 10 types of implements, including plows, harrows, seed drills, and transporters. "We also waterproofed the tractor's electrical system to reduce malfunctions, taking into account the rainy climate in southern China," the company added.
To further promote the widespread use of agricultural machinery in hilly areas, Hunan Province this year included small tractors in the "Agricultural Machinery to the Countryside" promotion program. Farmers who purchase models adapted for hilly terrain will receive an additional 10% subsidy on top of their existing subsidies. Furthermore, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs plans to establish 50 agricultural machinery service stations in hilly areas over the next two years, providing one-stop services including repair, maintenance, and rental. Experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said that the popularization and application of small tractors is solving the problem of "difficulty in putting agricultural machinery into the fields" in the southern hilly areas, providing strong support for the high-quality development of characteristic agriculture.
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