Over 90 percent of the early rice harvest is complete; this year's area is steady with a slight decrease, and per-unit yield is flat

Currently, over 90 percent of the national early rice harvest is complete. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's crop situation scheduling and experts' field yield measurement analysis, this year's early rice area is steady with a slight decrease, per-unit yield is flat with a slight increase, most main producing areas show a flat production trend, and the national total early rice output is expected to achieve another bumper harvest.

The stable development of early rice production this year is mainly attributable to the full implementation of policies, the full provision of scientific and technological services, and the full delivery of disease and pest prevention and control.

First, policy signals were strong. This year the state announced early and raised the minimum purchase price for early rice, increasing it by 0.03 yuan per jin. The central government arranged 400 million yuan from the modern agricultural development fund to subsidize centralized rice seedling cultivation. Localities stepped up policy publicity and guidance, promoted the “single cropping to double cropping” conversion according to local conditions, and strove to stabilize the early rice planting area.

Second, scientific and technological services were in place. Localities carried out in-depth high-yield grain creation and yield-increasing model research, promoted high-quality rice, super rice and other varieties, and in particular actively advanced centralized seedling cultivation to breed strong seedlings; the seedlings were of good quality, revived quickly and tillered abundantly after transplanting, and the early rice population was sufficient. According to incomplete statistics, this year the national centralized early rice seedling cultivation area reached 25 million mu, an increase of more than 7 million mu, and machine-transplanted early rice was around 20 million mu, an increase of more than 7 million mu.

Third, disease and pest prevention and control was effective. Since May, heavy rainfall has been frequent in early rice producing areas, favoring the occurrence and damage of diseases and pests. Localities strengthened disease and pest monitoring and early warning, carried out emergency control in a timely manner, vigorously advanced unified prevention and control and joint prevention and joint control, effectively curbed the outbreak and spread of diseases and pests, and achieved “snatching grain from the mouths of pests.” According to statistics, this year cumulative early rice disease and pest control covered 350 million mu-times, accounting for 113 percent of the affected area.

In addition, the meteorological conditions during this year's early rice growth period were generally normal, with better light and temperature conditions during the transplanting and tillering stages, and better matching of light, temperature and water during most of the booting and grain-filling stages. Experts analyzed that this year the main early rice producing areas did not experience large-scale seed and seedling rot, “rain beating the rice flowers” or late-stage high-temperature forced ripening, which favored yield formation.

The increase in summer grain output is already certain, the early rice harvest is about to be secured, and the bulk of the year's grain production lies in the autumn grain. Currently we are in the critical period of “seven down, eight up” flood control and drought relief, which is also an important stage for the growth and development of autumn grain. The agricultural sector will remain unshaken in its goal of stabilizing grain and increasing income, base itself on fighting disasters to win a bumper harvest, solidly carry out the “strengthen services, scientifically fight disasters, and win an autumn grain bumper harvest action,” step up efforts, strengthen measures, and go all out to win an autumn grain bumper harvest.

First, go all out to do a good job in rush harvesting and rush transplanting. In response to the situation in which transplanting was hindered by typhoons and heavy rainfall in some late rice producing areas recently, give full play to the role of agricultural machinery, promptly clear the stubble, prepare the land and soak the fields, and ensure timely transplanting of late rice.

Second, go all out to do a good job in disaster prevention and reduction. Closely monitor disastrous weather such as drought, floods, high temperatures, early frost in Northeast China and cold dew wind in the South, release early warning information in a timely manner, and according to the degree of disaster in different regions and the growth and development progress of different crops, organize experts to formulate scientific disaster-resistance technical plans by region, by disaster type and by crop, implement scientific disaster-resistance measures, and effectively reduce disaster impacts and losses.

Third, go all out to do a good job in disease and pest prevention and control. Organize and carry out the “prevent diseases and pests, win an autumn grain bumper harvest action,” focus on preventing and controlling the rice “two migrations” pests, strengthen monitoring and early warning, vigorously carry out unified prevention and control, and resolutely curb the outbreak and spread of diseases and pests.

Fourth, go all out to do a good job in guidance and services. Continue to organize experts and agricultural technicians to go deep into the fields to guide farmers in implementing field management measures according to local conditions, timing and soil moisture, and promote the normal growth and development of crops. Solidly do a good job in high-yield grain creation and yield-increasing model research, take the lead in implementing key disaster-prevention and yield-increasing technologies, strengthen demonstration and driving effects, and promote balanced yield increases over large areas.