Yimutian Group (NASDAQ:YMT), a leading digital agriculture platform in China, announced on Thursday that it has entered into a preliminary agreement to acquire Hunan Jiufeng Agriculture, marking a decisive move to integrate "origin-based" physical assets with its AI-powered digital infrastructure.
The acquisition of Jiufeng Agriculture, a major producer of premium camellia oil, represents a strategic shift for Yimutian as it transitions from a B2B marketplace to a vertically integrated agricultural giant.
Jiufeng currently manages over 150,000 mu (approximately 10,000 hectares) of camellia farmland in Hunan Province, a nationally designated production hub.
By folding these operations into its ecosystem, Yimutian aims to deploy proprietary AI tools across the entire value chain—from sensor-based planting optimization and automated quality control to blockchain-enabled consumer traceability.
This deal is part of a broader expansion for Yimutian, which also announced a separate large-scale digital farming project in Guangdong Province this week.
Together, these moves signal the company's intent to build a "closed-loop" ecosystem that bypasses traditional middlemen.
While the financial terms were not disclosed, Jiufeng Agriculture has reportedly invested approximately 110 million RMB in high-standard plantations to date.
The transaction remains subject to final due diligence and definitive agreements.