The Haygrove Experience

I joined Haygrove in July 2018. The company's rapid development in the industry and the company's 3BL culture deeply attracted me. At the Haygrove Yunnan, I am mainly responsible for planting technology and farm management. Our team is very young and very dynamic. Everyone worked together and watched each and every pot of seedlings grow into fruit-bearing blueberry plants; the sense of accomplishment was quite strong.

Working at Haygrove 

Q: For you, what are the challenges at work?

A: The biggest technical challenge is pest and disease. The tropical climate of Banna has rather dry and rainy seasons, and this provides optimal conditions for the reproduction of pests and diseases, but Haygrove is also constantly improving our tunnel facilities to manage these challenges.

The management challenge mainly comes from the shortage of labor during the harvesting season. The peak harvesting period from March to April of each year is therefore the most stressful period.

Q: What are the more fulfilling things at work now?

A: When the heavy fruit on the tree causes the branches to bend; when family members and friends compliment that our blueberries are delicious; when the workers are getting more affluent, and singing and dancing.

Q: What kind of growth has been brought to you by working at Haygrove?

A: First of all, it is the improvement in technology. When I joined Haygrove, we constantly exchange ideas and learn from counterparts in other leading agricultural companies and technical talents in the industry using the company's platform. Moreover, the company provides professional training every year, which greatly improves our capabilities to fully utilise the technologies made available to us. In addition, the most important thing is that the company encourages innovation, so we have the opportunity to constantly innovate ourselves through different production tests.

The second area of growth, I think, is the growth of farm management ability. The rapid development of the company also gives us many opportunities for promotion. What follows is a higher requirement for management ability, which grows in the process of practice.

Q: What kind of  growing systems are currently being explored in Haygrove Yunnan? What kind of improvement can they provide for other growers?

A: The culture of Haygrove is to encourage innovation. At present, we have iteratively explored the technology of polytunnels and polythene technologies.

The increase in the width and height of the Pioneer polytunnels will help increase the output per unit area and improve the ventilation effect, which will help the prevention and control of pests and diseases.

In addition, according to the characteristics of high temperature in Banna, Haygrove polythene can block more UV rays. Therefore, plants can grow in a cooler environment without any effect on photosynthesis when the summer is at its peak.

The cultural charm of Haygrove

Q: What do you think of the 3BL principles advocated in Haygrove?

A: 3BL is the core company culture that Haygrove differentiates itself from any other company. The company's 3BL culture deeply attracted me. Everyone influences the group and thereafter its effects ripple throughout society, so that Mother Nature and our natural environment are as little as possible affected by the adverse effects of agriculture, so as to achieve sustainable development and sustainable profits.

Q: Have you participated in any 3BL activities?

A: Just recently, we have just organized and participated in a garbage clean-up activity in the Mengbang Reservoir on World Environment Day. Together with other Haygrove colleagues, we filled up 8 large garbage bags within 2 hours. the garbage collected was mainly plastic bags, which are not easy to decompose. They were littered everywhere by the roadside and on the beach of the reservoir. What we have learned, is that environmental protection should start from the little things, and more education is given toward nature preservation, and environmental protection can be better if we have everyone's participation. After the activity, I began to pay more attention to shopping with as many eco-friendly bags as possible and reduce the use of plastic bags

Future outlook

Q: What do you think of the future development of the industry?

A: At present, the popularity of domestic blueberries is still very limited, and the price is still relatively high. However, with the rapid expansion and development, the price will be more rational and hence more consumers. Of course, the profit margin for growers will decline, but this requires us to work hard to constantly improve the yield and quality through the development of technology, and continue to develop new varieties to overcome.

Q: What do you think of the future development of Haygrove in China?

A: We all know about the two major areas of business of Haygrove in China: Growing and Growing Systems. Haygrove's growers will continue to adapt and improve our own Growing Systems through our own knowledge and experience. The two complement each other and promote each other, and the future will be better.

Q: What advice can you give to young people who are interested in entering the industry?

A: As the Chinese saying goes: "People regard food as their Heaven". China has been a big agricultural country since ancient times. For now, the development prospects of large-scale plantations and modern agriculture in China are still very impressive, and it can be said that there is a lot to do. At the same time, as a practitioner, we also hope that more young people will join our big family, bring advanced and professional planting concepts to the fields, and contribute to the development of agriculture. I hope that in the future, we will work together to make ordinary things extraordinary, to find a better self and a better future.

I'm waiting for you here in Haygrove!