Against the backdrop of digital rural development becoming a national strategic direction, accelerating the development of smart agriculture and promoting the improvement of total factor productivity and management service efficiency in agriculture have become the key paths for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. Zhonghe Rural Credit, as a comprehensive agricultural assistance institution deeply rooted in rural areas and serving small and micro customers, its years of practice have precisely provided a vivid illustration for this path. By integrating offline networks and digital technologies, Zhonghe Rural Credit has precisely responded to the core requirements of "focusing on independent innovation, scenario construction, data application, and sustainable development" in the process of promoting the development of smart agriculture.
The development of smart agriculture cannot be separated from the deep integration of technological supply and specific scenarios. Official documents state that we should "focus on independent innovation to enhance the level of smart agriculture technology supply" and "focus on scenario construction to accelerate the digital and intelligent transformation of agriculture". The practice of Zhonghe Rural Credit Union is an embodiment of this approach.
On the technical supply side, Zhonghe Nongxin adheres to the principle of "professionalism". It regards technology as the "core of agricultural socialized services" and has established a team of planting experts. Through scientific research and experiments, they develop technical plans for the entire growth period of crops. This is an adaptive technological innovation specifically tailored to China's complex agricultural conditions and the needs of small-scale farmers. At the same time, Zhonghe Nongxin actively cooperates with universities and research institutions to continuously enhance its own technical capabilities, which forms the foundation for its improvement of the level of independent technical supply.
In terms of the implementation of the scenario and digital transformation, Zhonghe Rural Credit has established an "efficient" digital support system. To address the challenges of a wide distribution of service recipients and diverse demands, Zhonghe Rural Credit utilized online service platforms and multiple layers of offline services to achieve data connectivity in production, technical implementation supervision, and other functions. Its specially developed mobile App, combined with an electronic map, enables village-level "one-stop agricultural service station managers" to achieve precise management of plots; agricultural experts can conduct "cloud-based operations" through "online consultation". In addition, the self-built smart agriculture service management system and supply chain ERP system indicate that it has internalized data and information technology as production factors, directly promoting the intelligence of agricultural production links and the networking of business services, in response to the official call to "develop smart agriculture using modern information technologies such as the Internet of Things and big data".
Improving the efficiency of management services is one of the main focuses of smart agriculture. The key lies in enabling data to flow and serving precise decision-making and efficient responses. Official documents emphasize the need to "focus on data application and enhance management service efficiency". Zhonghe Rural Credit Union, with its unique "neighborly" service network, has implemented data application and efficiency improvement right at the fields and farms.
Zhonghe Rural Credit Cooperative has established a direct offline service network reaching rural areas, with over 5,800 one-stop agricultural service managers from the local community. This has formed a "capillary-like" service system. These managers are not only the executors and supervisors of technical solutions, but also the collectors of key data and feedback nodes. They ensure the implementation of technical details, reduce the threshold for small farmers to apply new technologies, and essentially transform and empower the macroscopic smart agriculture technology at the micro level through personalized and localized trust bonds.
At the level of customer service and performance management, data application is also deeply integrated. Zhonghe Rural Credit Union attaches great importance to customer feedback. It not only communicates with customers at the front line and through the headquarters' complaint system, but also actively utilizes various digital channels such as big data mining, platform back-end feedback, monitoring social platforms, and satisfaction surveys to collect customer demands. A survey of 2,390 customers in 2024 showed that over 92% of the respondents were satisfied with the products and services, and the company collected over 400 valid suggestions. This data-based, closed-loop mechanism for handling customer opinions and monitoring service quality is precisely the manifestation of "innovating rural governance methods and improving rural governance levels" using modern information technology in market-oriented service organizations. It significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of management and services.
The healthy development of smart agriculture depends on a stable and responsible industrial ecosystem. Official documents require "focusing on sustainable development and cultivating a healthy industrial ecosystem". Zhonghe Rural Credit Cooperative positions its services as "providing tailor-made comprehensive solutions for the sustainable development of rural micro and small customer groups", and extends this concept to the entire supply chain.
Zhonghe Rural Credit's services cover multiple fields such as agricultural production, credit, daily life, and clean energy, aiming to create a comprehensive platform for promoting rural ecological development. In terms of supply chain management, Zhonghe Rural Credit adheres to the concept of "win-win cooperation and sustainable development", and is committed to establishing a complete management system to ensure that business activities comply with environmental and social responsibility requirements. Its strict selection of supply chain partners and the responsibility-sharing model help drive the upstream and downstream to jointly improve product and service quality. From the perspective of the industrial chain, it has constructed a healthier and more sustainable smart agriculture service ecosystem, providing a practical framework at the enterprise level for "cultivating a healthy industrial ecosystem".
Zhonghe Rural Credit Cooperative has adopted a dual-drive approach of "technology and operation" to establish a combined model of "online platform and offline network". In terms of independent technology solution development, the implementation of digital scenarios in agricultural production, the improvement of service efficiency based on data, and the cultivation of sustainable industrial ecosystems, it has carried out systematic exploration. Its service network has covered over 550 counties and more than 10,000 villages across the country, serving nearly 4.8 million customers. This not only demonstrates the scale and effectiveness of its business, but also confirms that leveraging digital technology to empower small farmers and develop smart agriculture is a feasible and effective path, contributing practical corporate strength to helping achieve the goal of "strong agriculture, beautiful countryside, and prosperous farmers".
