Shandong mobilizes resources to minimize crop losses caused by rain

chinadaily.com.cn2025-10-10 19:15

　　Farmers use a crawler harvester to collect corn on Wednesday in Dingtao district of Heze, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　Continuous rainy weather has impacted this year's corn harvest in Shandong province, with local authorities mobilizing resources to minimize losses and ensure autumn grains are gathered in time.

　　Since Sept 10, Shandong has received 246.5 millimeters of precipitation, 269 percent more than the average for the period, according to provincial meteorological data. A new round of province-wide rainfall is forecast for the next four days.

　　Zhou Naixiang, governor of Shandong, stressed the urgency of the task on Thursday at a video conference about autumn agricultural production, calling for all-out efforts in harvesting, close monitoring of weather changes, and efficient drainage of waterlogged fields. He also emphasized the need to mobilize harvesting machinery and ensure all grain is collected.

　　Farmers use a drone to transport corn on Thursday from the muddy fields in Dingtao district of Heze, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　To cope with muddy conditions, the province has deployed 5,431 crawler combine harvesters. In severely flooded fields where even crawler machines cannot operate, local workers have been dispatched to dredge ditches and organize manual harvesting.

　　Innovative methods are also employed. In areas such as Dingtao district and Yuncheng county of Heze, modified plant protection drones equipped with lifting devices are being used to transport corn from the fields.

　　"We now have over 40 drones conducting corn transport operations," said Zhao Xin, general manager of Yuncheng Xinfu Agricultural Development. "Each drone can cover about 20 mu (1.33 hectares) per day."

　　The Shandong Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has published a list of over 2,600 grain drying service bases across the province to support post-harvest processing.

　　As of Wednesday, approximately 53.6 percent of the province's corn fields had been harvested.

　　Duan Zhuoyan contributed to the story.