[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"In the past, we depended on the weather for our livelihood. Now, we rely on electricity to ensure a bountiful harvest. Thank you so much!"
Recently, at Zhengyu Farm, a prominent modern fruit grower in Weihai city, Shandong province expressed his joy of the harvest to the staff members from State Grid Weihai Power Supply Company.
It's the season for apple picking in the golden autumn once again. At Zhengyu Farm's apple orchard, the mountains and plains are covered with apple trees bowed down by clusters of red apples. The orchard is adorned with bright red, heavy apples and the vibrant hues are a feast for the eyes. Fruit farmers are busy picking, sorting and transporting, presenting a scene of bumper harvest.
To ensure the development of the high-end fruit industry, the local power supply station has incorporated farming seasons into its work plan. During spring, attention is paid to the climatic characteristics of the "late spring cold" in the Weihai region. By visiting orchards during the flowering season, the company ensures the safety of electricity for orchard spring irrigation facilities and actively collaborates with fruit enterprises to cope with the "late spring cold". This is because the "late spring cold" not only affects the "fruit setting rate" of fruit trees but can even lead to a complete loss of production. Irrigating the orchards can enhance soil heat capacity and minimize the damage caused by temperature fluctuations to the fruit trees.
[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
In the sorting and packaging workshop of the apple futures delivery warehouse at the Shandong Weihai Cuihong Zhengshang Exchange, one by one, bright red, plump and juicy apples "embark" on the modern intelligent assembly line, undergoing intelligent sorting and packing before being dispatched to various regions across the country. The staff members of Weihai Power Supply Company of State Grid are busy among them, conducting inspections to identify potential power consumption hazards in the plant's equipment, ensuring the safety of apple production and sales.
"The traditional manual sorting capacity per person per day is nearly 1,000 kg, and the workload of the intelligent assembly line per hour is nearly 800 kg, which greatly improves the production efficiency. Thanks to the power supply company's regular troubleshooting of hidden electrical hazards, we can use electricity more confidently," said manager Yue, the person in charge of the site.
[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
It is reported that Weihai boasts an apple planting area spanning 90,000 mu (6,000 hectares), featuring 5 orchards exceeding 1,000 mu, and 70 orchards surpassing 200 mu. The region offers 21 varieties, including Red Fuji, Weihai Jin and Wanglian, yielding an annual output of 230,000 tons. By establishing the Modern Apple Co-Prosperity Party Building Alliance, the city has leveraged party-building efforts to drive industrial growth and foster development through services. Consequently, the apple industry has undergone a transformation from mere volume increase to enhanced efficiency, with the annual output value surpassing 2 billion yuan ($284.7 million).
With the industrial transformation and upgrading, all aspects of apple cultivation, production and sales rely heavily on a reliable and stable power supply. For a long time, the State Grid Weihai Power Supply Company has been focusing on customer needs, precisely advancing the construction of a first-class rural distribution network. They have concentrated efforts on upgrading rural networks in Xiazhuang town and other areas where the apple industry is prevalent, thereby meeting the power demands of the apple industry and laying a solid foundation for rural revitalization.
Simultaneously, the State Grid Weihai Power Supply Company continues to optimize the power business environment, establishing "one-to-one" customer profiles, opening green service channels, and promptly processing power applications from fruit farmers and apple production and processing enterprises. They simplify workflows, swiftly handle power business, and implement a time-limited system for industry expansion and electricity installation, ensuring hassle-free and efficient power usage for customers.
In the next step, the State Grid Weihai Power Supply Company will continue to focus on serving rural revitalization, strengthen power grid construction, enhance the level of quality service and make reliable electricity serve as the "escort" for the sales of Weihai's distinctive agricultural products.
