China takes multi-pronged measures to ensure summer harvest

This aerial photo shows machines working during an activity organized by the local goverment to demonstrate agricultural machines in Caigongzhuang Township of Jinghai District, north China's Tianjin, June 11, 2023. Summer harvest in north China's Tianjin has begun. Modern agricultural technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

China is making multi-pronged efforts to reap a bumper harvest this summer, thereby safeguarding the country's grain security, despite adverse meteorological conditions.

Traditionally, the summer harvest spans from May to late June in China every year, with most of the work focused on reaping winter wheat, a staple grain crop. The grain output for the period makes up about a quarter of the annual total.

As of Sunday, the harvested area of winter wheat had exceeded 239 million mu (about 15.93 million hectares), completing over 75 percent of the annual workload for the summer harvest.

Central China's Henan Province, one of the country's main breadbasket provinces, has basically completed all of its tasks for the winter wheat harvest. To reduce the impact of continuous rainy weather, the province has conducted the summer harvest at full throttle.

At a farmers' cooperative in Minquan County, 16 combine harvesters operated round the clock to enhance efficiency. The county also put 18 grain dryers into use and sent technicians to provide guidance, as part of efforts to improve the quality of the grain crop.

To minimize grain losses due to rainfall, the agricultural bureau of east China's Anhui Province has introduced additional agricultural machinery from neighboring provinces, including Shandong, Jiangsu and Henan, thereby speeding up the harvest.

Wu Tianchang, an operator of agricultural machinery, said the trucks were allowed to drive toll-free on expressways during the summer harvest period, while service stations were provided at each of the locations he had been to.

Since late-May, China CO-OP Group has coordinated over 1,300 personnel and about 400 agricultural machines to ensure the smooth running of the harvesting, sowing and field management in various regions.

Meteorological bureaus have also participated in supporting the summer harvest. The climate center of east China's Shandong Province has released a special report to guide farmers in ensuring work is completed on time.

To ensure the income of rural residents amid prolonged rainy days, China has stepped up financial aid to assist with the summer harvest.

On June 3, the country earmarked 200 million yuan (about 28 million U.S. dollars) of disaster relief funds to support Henan Province in harvesting in rain-hit wheat fields and drying wet grain.

The Agricultural Development Bank of China has issued 110 billion yuan of credit to support the purchase of summer grain.

Agricultural production needs to surmount various difficulties, said an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, calling for preparations to deal with risks and make improvements in disaster prevention and reduction.