Winter wheat harvest begins across a large area of the Huang-Huai-Hai region
In the photo, farmers in Yingshang County are seizing favorable weather to rush in the wheat harvest. Photo by Wang Pengfei
In June, across the Jianghuai land, wheat waves roll and a scene of abundant harvest fills the fields. The reporter came to Fuyang City, Anhui Province, long known as the “tens-of-billions Jianghuai granary,” where favorable weather is being seized to rush in the summer grain harvest. According to agricultural situation scheduling by the Ministry of Agriculture, at present, more than 80 percent of the summer grain harvest in the southwest region has been completed, and winter wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai region has begun to be harvested across a large area. This year, the summer grain harvest is expected to be abundant once again.
Farmers wait in joy for every grain to be brought into the granary
The weather was hot, and in Jintang Village, Wanggang Town, Yingshang County, Fuyang City, Luo Yingli, a large grain grower, and his family were harvesting wheat in their contracted fields. “This year's harvest is much better than last year's. The average yield per mu is estimated at 500 kilograms.” Holding several heavy heads of wheat, 49-year-old Luo Yingli wore a smile all over his face.
Last year, Luo Yingli successfully transferred more than 1,500 mu of land in the Tangduo Lake basin of the Huai River for large-scale wheat planting. This year, he and his younger brother Luo Yingdi registered and established Brothers Family Farm, specializing in grain production and processing. For days, the Luo brothers' whole family has joined the effort, and they have already rushed in the harvest of more than 400 mu of wheat.
Wang Yin, director of the Yingshang County Agriculture Committee, told the reporter that Yingshang County is a traditional major agricultural county and has won the title of “National Advanced County in Grain Production” four times in 10 years. The county party committee and county government place special importance on agriculture and have increased investment year after year, gradually changing the traditional path of farmers depending on the weather for their livelihood.
This year, the wheat as a whole enjoyed favorable weather. Taking Fangcheng County, Henan Province, as an example, soil moisture was sufficient before planting at the end of last year, wheat sowing was concentrated, and reseeding was unnecessary. Throughout the winter, temperature and humidity were just right, and tillering was reasonable. After the New Year, jointing came 7 to 10 days earlier than in previous years, extending the grain-filling period. In March, just as drought began to appear, a thorough spring rain fell. During the flowering stage, pest and disease prevention was carried out, and Nanyang City held several meetings to deploy unified prevention and control. This year, the wheat growth was the best in years.
On May 25, the hilly area of Fangcheng County began harvesting first, with yield per mu increasing by 1/4 over last year. On June 1, a nationwide team of wheat experts organized a field measurement in Fangcheng, obtaining a yield of 632.65 kilograms per mu. Farmers wait in joy for every grain to be brought into the granary.
Multiple measures together consolidate the foundation for a bumper summer grain harvest
With a bumper summer grain harvest in sight, water conservancy deserves indispensable credit. In Xingfu Village, Jiangdianzi Town, Yingshang County, farmer Zuo Zhongjun led the reporter forward along a flat and broad production road, where cement ditches were laid out in an orderly manner across his contracted land, with pumping stations located among them.
“These ditches and pumping stations were all built in the past two years. When drought comes, the water in the ditches can flow directly into the fields and seep through along the moisture furrows. Last year, the wheat irrigation was very timely. Now more than 40 mu have already been harvested, and the yield has increased somewhat over last year.” Zuo Zhongjun said.
In the past, Tangduo Lake was a flood detention and storage area in the Huai River basin, with constant flooding year after year. Most farmers depended on the weather, and harvests were sometimes good and sometimes bad. In recent years, however, with increased local investment in farmland water conservancy and the improvement of wheat varieties, the predicament of depending on the weather is gradually changing, and grain has achieved bumper harvests for many consecutive years.
Good seeds and good methods added momentum. Since the implementation of the improved seed subsidy project in Yingshang County, high-yield and high-quality wheat varieties have gradually expanded, purity has been continuously optimized, and the coverage rate of improved varieties has reached more than 98%. This year, the county's wheat area is 1.43 million mu. According to preliminary yield estimates, the average yield per mu reached 446 kilograms, an increase of 3.7% over last year. The county's total summer grain output is expected to reach 638,000 tons, setting a new record high.
“Before planting wheat last year, the county agriculture committee also sent experts to conduct soil testing and formulated fertilization for us, guiding us on how to fertilize scientifically and how to use growth regulators later……” Luo Yingli told the reporter that in previous years, fertilizing the land relied entirely on old experience. In order to make the farmland high-yielding, he always felt that applying more chemical fertilizer was better, and often applied too much, burning the crops to death, which truly hurt. “The county's soil testing and formulated fertilization made me understand the importance of scientific fertilization.”
Good policies. This year, Zuo Zhongjun contracted 220 mu of wheat. Before sowing, the government provided them with the improved variety “Jimai 22,” which sold for 2 yuan per jin on the market. After government subsidies, individuals only needed to pay 1.4 yuan.
“The sharp increase in yield per mu and consecutive years of bumper grain harvests are not without reason.” Xiong Dechao, secretary of the Yingshang County Party Committee, said with deep feeling that in 2014, the county's national preferential agricultural funds subsidies reached more than 95 million yuan. Last winter and this spring, the county invested 579 million yuan in water conservancy, focusing on reinforcing production polder dikes, dredging rivers and ditches, updating and transforming small rural collective pumping stations, and building and repairing irrigation wells.
“The bumper summer grain harvest is also closely related to factors such as our continuous increase in recent years in the planting rate of high-quality improved seeds, greater investment in agricultural infrastructure, agricultural science and technology going to the grassroots, and increased preferential agricultural subsidies.” Xiong Dechao said that Yingshang County attaches great importance to service and guidance in the wheat production process. At key production stages, the county party committee and county government have successively held targeted meetings to arrange and deploy important work such as timely wheat sowing, wheat field management, and prevention and control of major pests and diseases, striving to produce more grain and produce good grain.
Striving to bring every grain into the granary and secure a bumper harvest
In June, the Jianghuai region has entered the plum rain season. In order to ensure that every grain of grain is brought into the granary, wheat harvesting in northern Anhui is racing against time. To rush in the harvest, Yingshang County organized more than 5,000 agricultural machines to help farmers harvest, adopting the method of stopping people but not machines, operating around the clock. At present, 750,000 mu of the county's 1.43 million mu of wheat have been rush-harvested, accounting for 53% of the total task.
The agricultural machinery cooperative led by Liu Benqing in Zhaohe Town, Fangcheng County, has more than 70 agricultural machines of various types. During the wheat harvest season, the cooperative's operators roll up their bedding and travel day and night, harvesting from Henan to Shandong and Hebei, eating and sleeping on the harvesters. Pointing to the harvester behind him, he said: “This machine cost the cooperative 80,000 yuan, with more than 40,000 yuan subsidized. After two years of cross-regional wheat harvesting, the cost has been recovered.”
Liu Benqing said that in order not to miss the farming season, more than 120 harvester operators in the cooperative rotate shifts every day, working from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Although the operators work hard, the farmers are filled with joy every day as they see the golden wheat brought into the granary.
The government has devoted considerable effort to agricultural machinery services and agricultural technology services. At major traffic routes, there are service stations for passing harvesters. In the free material bags distributed, there are various service information items such as telephone numbers, traffic and wheat harvest maps for each township, and several bottles of Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui were thoughtfully included. Mobile service vehicles run along township roads. If agricultural machinery breaks down or parts are needed, a single phone call brings someone to deliver them to the door as soon as possible. Whichever household lacks labor, each township has organized assistance teams. Information such as weather, roads, machine harvesting demand, and wheat market conditions is distributed free of charge via mobile phone text messages. Where a rain shower falls, the operators know it most clearly. The mobile phone numbers of liaison personnel published by the county are almost bombarded with calls every day.
Every possible means is used to protect farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain. To safeguard farmers' returns, Anhui Province launched the minimum purchase price execution plan for wheat across the province on May 28 —— 1.18 yuan per jin. The Agricultural Development Bank of Anhui also prepared in advance, requiring that “money wait for grain.” Before the end of May, wheat purchase loans had been approved and implemented for enterprises. At present, 23 billion yuan in summer grain and oil purchase funds has been prepared, which can support enterprises in purchasing 17.5 billion jin of grain and oil.
At present, the wheat in southern Henan has already been harvested. As large numbers of machines migrate northward, patches of golden wheat fields gradually mature. Henan's 81 million mu of wheat this year is being harvested with 4 million agricultural machines at full power, of which 165,000 harvesters have been put into this “three summers” battle.