A PEST Analysis of the Vegetable Industry in Shouguang

Abstract

Taking the PEST analytical model as the research framework, this paper systematically dissects the external development environment of Shouguang’s vegetable industry from four dimensions: policy, economy, society and technology. From the policy perspective, national, Shandong provincial, Weifang municipal and Shouguang municipal authorities have successively issued hierarchical supporting policies targeting rural revitalization, digital commerce-driven agriculture, and innovation in modern vegetable seed industries since 2018. A complete policy support system has been established to advance the iterative upgrading of the "Shouguang Model", fostering the development of digital agriculture, vegetable seed breeding and rural e-commerce. Economically, domestic residents are witnessing continuous consumption upgrading of vegetables and fruits, generating robust market demand for high-quality agricultural products. Meanwhile, Shouguang boasts solid local economic strength, a well-established full industrial chain for vegetables, emerging formats such as prefabricated dishes, prominent achievements in sci-tech-empowered agriculture and common prosperity, laying a stable economic foundation for industrial growth. Socially, Shouguang leads the nation in the scale of its vegetable seed industry; seed expos and industry-academia-research platforms keep improving, alongside a systematic cultivation system for new professional farmers that nurtures a large pool of skilled agricultural technicians. Technologically, Shouguang possesses abundant vegetable germplasm resources and multi-level high-end scientific research platforms, with smart facility agriculture and digital planting technologies based on the Internet of Things widely applied, delivering strong capacity for commercial transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Overall, favorable conditions across policy, economic, social and technological dimensions jointly underpin the modernization of Shouguang’s vegetable industry. Its experience in seed breeding, digital agriculture, talent training and full industrial chain development can offer practical references for the coordinated advancement of vegetable industries in other regions.