Seven years ago, He Yangyang left his university job in downtown Shanghai to return to his Songjiang district hometown – on the outskirts of the city – and begin exploring how digital technology could transform farming. Songjiang, a major grain-producing area for Shanghai, is helping the city meet its goal of building 6,666 hectares (16,473 acres) of automated farms by the end of this year. He’s team has already exceeded expectations, developing nearly 133 hectares of automated farmland – mainly used to grow rice – ahead of schedule. But even though its farmland is limited and its farming population is small, the sprawling city is consistently among the leading regions in China in grain yield per hectare. AdvertisementAccording to official data, Shanghai’s grain yield was around 7.54 tonnes per hectare last year, keeping it in second place nationally – just behind the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.