Most do not realize China is a stupendously monstrous apple producer. For example in 2022 they grew 47,571,800 tons of apples. By far they are the largest Apple Juice producer as well.
Yet China’s cultivation of apples has a part devious intention. They want rural farmers to stay where they are in the country. And China subsidizes growing apples as a major part of many tiny farms.
Iowa State University made a good break down in a short one page article.
That’s interesting. China’s adult population is only about 4 times that of the USA.
China gas made huge leaps ahead of America in agriculture technology
They are extending the seasons
This has been going on for decades
But here; most of the apple orchards are grown on 1/10 acre peasant style allotments. With extreme use of dirt cheap hand labor.
As a whole America is far behind when it comes to agriculture. The advantage we have is farmable land. It is the old story of the turtle and the hair. Americans are spending to much time sleeping under a tree, and in the meantime nations that were far behind us are passing us up. That includes myself. GMO has been a catastrophic failure the way it was done that nobody wants to admit because it made them money. It has damaged farm ground by using bad agricultural practices. Erosion and reduced fertility are now a reality on most farms. Other countries made their mistakes also. We are correcting some failures with no till farming etc. It is other people’s land and they are entitled to make decisions as long as they pay the bills. I’m pointing out China doubled their food production using greenhouses without being hard on the land. The food they raised also has more value. It is hard to argue with favorable results. That is not to say there is no value in pursuing all agricultural techniques. Research and development is always good. As long as we dont fall in love with an idea that doesn’t work we will be ok long term. Higher chemicals and higher seed bills with bigger machinery is not more profitable rather a recipe for bankruptcy for a farm unless done on thousands of acres scale. That is also a borrowed time system as the fertility is ever decreasing while doing that. Sustainability in farming is a better long term solution as people need nutritios food to perform at their best. A mandatory nutrition test of food might be a good first step.
@dannytoro1
Many of the initial leaders of agricultural development in China attended undergrad and graduate school here 40 years ago, then returned home. The know-how has always been here.
The Romans could have had steam engines in the beginning of the 1st century A.D., but the emperor rejected Hero’s inventions in favor of slave labor.