IoT Beyond Connectivity Case Study: How China Mobile Is Harnessing IoT Big Data Solutions to Create Value in Strawberry Production

Like most markets the production of Strawberries in China is competitive. Prices are sensitive to the quality of the fruit and to supply and demand – with prices higher in the early season when the greenhouse crops start to ripen, but open field crops are not yet ready. Limited early supply keeps prices buoyant and the higher crop price directly improves the farmers’ income and profit.

The profit margin is also affected by costs of production, such as the number of workers required to manage and harvest the crop, and the amount of inputs such as water and fertiliser used.

Profit is not the only consideration however, as climate and environmental factors have the attention of governments and policy makers across the world, China has committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals which means becoming fully self-sufficient in staple foods by the end of the decade without increasing resource inputs to agriculture. The Government’s plan includes zero-growth targets for the use of fertilisers by 2020, and limiting national water consumption to below 700 billion cubic metres by 2030. […]