In narrow, steep mountain areas, even skilled drivers need to be extra cautious behind the wheel, let alone when operating agricultural machinery.

"The areas that others overlook or struggle with often hide great opportunities and large markets," Zhou Zhi, chairperson of the Changsha Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd. The company has carved a niche in the global market by focusing on small agricultural machinery for hilly and mountainous terrain. From January to May, the company's revenue exceeded 80 million CNY, a year-on-year increase of over 15%, with products exported to more than 50 countries and regions worldwide.

Some agricultural machinery displayed at the Changsha Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd. (Photo/Zhu Shuaiming, Hunan Daily)

A 2.2-Meter Turning Radius—the Nation's Smallest

Forging a Unique Edge in the Hilly Terrain Agricultural Machinery Sector

On June 16, an operator demonstrated operating a new articulated wheeled tractor developed by Changsha Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment, on a hillside in Jinghuapu Township, Ningxiang County-level City, Changsha.

A nearly meter-high ridge and a narrow strip of land—challenging for most farm machines. Yet, with a low-range first gear operation, the tractor easily climbed over the ridge. On a plot less than six meters wide, the operator turned the steering wheel to a full lock, and the machine smoothly turned around in place.

"We've set a domestic record for articulated tractors with a turning radius of just 2.2 meters, enabling flexible maneuvering even in 'palm-sized plots,'" Zhou Zhi said, noting that conventional machines often need multiple reverses to turn around on fragmented hilly farmland.

A reporter test-drives a new articulated wheeled tractor on hilly terrain. (Photo/Zhu Shuaiming, Hunan Daily)

To overcome the shortcomings of conventional agricultural machinery, Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment has been collaborating with an export team from Hunan Agricultural University since 2018.

"Innovation is key to forging a unique edge," Zhou Zhi said. R&D staff account for one-fifth of the company's total workforce, and long-term collaboration with Hunan Agricultural University has yielded over 400 patents—far surpassing peers of similar size in technology portfolio.

R&D staff at Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment discuss solutions to improve agricultural machinery. (Photo/Zhu Shuaiming, Hunan Daily)

"Agricultural machinery for hilly areas needs to be more than just user-friendly. It must also be cost-effective so that farmers can afford it," Zhou Zhi said. Through developing core technologies while manufacturing key components in-house, the company has managed to bring prices down.

The gearbox accounts for more than 30% of agricultural machinery production costs. While most rivals outsource it, Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment keeps costs down by manufacturing it in-house. For instance, its articulated wheeled tractor can perform rotary tilling, fertilizing, seeding, and harvesting. It sells for just over 40,000 CNY, nearly a third less than similar models.

With years of focus on hilly-terrain agricultural machinery and a commitment to solving users'pain points, Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment has become the market leader in rotary tillers across Hunan and Jiangxi. Its newly developed rice seedling thrower has also earned high praise from Luo Xiwen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a leading figure in the industry.

Just 29 Days from Order to Delivery

A Mature Supply Chain Enables Rapid Customization, Quality Services Open International Markets

"It only takes 29 days from a customer's request to product delivery," Zhou Zhi said. The ability to quickly develop machinery tailored to local needs is the company's core competitiveness in global expansion.

Workers produce agricultural machinery in Sunlight's processing workshop. (Photo/Zhu Shuaiming, Hunan Daily)

BCTN, a large agricultural machinery agent in Indonesia, planned early this year to procure a batch of palm collectors that could perform multiple tasks, such as harvesting, transport, fertilizing, and crop protection by fitting different attachments.

"At the time, no mature product of this kind existed. BCTN compared multiple manufacturers globally—most overseas peers needed at least 90 days to deliver a prototype, but Sunlight produced one in less than 29 days," Zhou Zhi said. This fast response directly sealed the deal.

This efficiency is backed by Ningxiang's mature industrial support. Zhou Zhi explained that after the company has completed its design drawings, nearby partner factories collaborate in a division of labor, enabling small-batch trial production of machinery in about a week.

Competition in the overseas agricultural machinery market is intense, with the industry focus shifting from merely selling products to providing comprehensive after-sales services.

Some agricultural machinery displayed by the Changsha Sunlight Agricultural Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd. (Photo/Zhu Shuaiming, Hunan Daily)

Zhou Zhi said the company offers value-added services to foreign clients and dispatches technicians to provide on-site assembly and after-sales services.

In the first half of the year, BCTN's palm equipment order was only 200,000 CNY, whereas Sunlight stationed technicians on-site for 10 days, costing over 50,000 CNY. The substantial support services impressed the client, who added nearly 2 million CNY in procurement intent  in May this year.

Beyond that, Sunlight regularly organizes free trainings on agricultural machinery maintenance for technicians from Africa and Southeast Asia. Word-of-mouth effect continues to grow, with referral orders from new clients recommended by existing ones steadily increasing, expanding the company's global network.

From rubber plantations in Malaysia to durian orchards in Thailand, from mines in Nigeria to drylands in Uganda, Sunlight's small agricultural machinery is a common sight.

Zhou Zhi expects the company's total sales this year to reach 200 million CNY, with exports accounting for 30%. The company is investing over 90 million CNY to expand its production facilities, with 80% of its new capacity dedicated to supplying overseas markets.

责编：冯宇轩

一审：冯宇轩

二审：黄思婷

三审：秦慧英

来源：湖南日报·新湖南客户端