A drone carries a box of waxberries aloft. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

A drone lifted off from a waxberry orchard on June 4 in Hengxi town — located in Xianju county, Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province — carrying freshly picked waxberries in a basket beneath its fuselage.

Within just three minutes, the drone completed the 500-meter journey to a transfer site.

As one of Xianju's major waxberry production hubs, Hengxi town boasts 167 hectares of orchards, 103 cooperatives, and over 6,000 farming households, along with 80 hectares of smart greenhouses.

However, the rugged terrain has long hindered efficient the transportation of waxberries from hillside orchards to cold storage facilities in the valley, slowing down the supply chain and limiting growth.

"In the past, we had to carry the fruit down from the mountains manually, which took up to an hour round-trip," said local grower Wang Senshui. "Now, with drones, a trip takes only about 10 minutes. It's faster, cheaper and helps preserve the freshness of the fruit," Wang added.

The drone operation was facilitated by the Hengxi town government, which partnered with a professional drone team from Huzhou in Zhejiang.

The team's leader Mu Hongrang noted that the DJI T100 model has high-capacity lift capabilities and can also be used for seeding, fertilization, mapping, and pest monitoring — making it a key tool in agricultural modernization. For the peak harvest season, the team has 10 drones on standby to ensure quick and efficient transport.

By introducing drone deliveries, Xianju is applying smart logistics to its waxberry industry — reducing spoilage, improving quality, and enhancing the competitiveness of its local brands, all the while boosting the incomes of its fruit farmers.