Henan’s autumn harvest is “in progress”: Corn is busy harvesting and drying
Xinhua News Agency, Zhengzhou, October 3 – The autumn harvest of crops in Henan is well underway, with corn being harvested and dried across the province. Despite the recent rainy weather posing some challenges, farmers are making use of the breaks in rainfall to carry out harvesting activities.
According to the Henan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the rainy weather has had a negative impact on the timely harvest and drying of autumn crops. To combat this, efforts have been made to drain waterlogged areas and create favorable conditions for mechanical harvesting. The department is actively guiding farmers on when to harvest based on the maturity of the crops. They encourage farmers to seize gaps in the rain to prevent issues such as mildew and germination for mature crops, and to prevent difficulties in drying for immature ones.
In the corn fields of Weishi County and Xihua County, the unharvested corn kernels appear plump and golden. Local agricultural and rural departments have utilized various spaces such as village committee compounds, cultural squares, school playgrounds, and vacant factories for ventilation and drying. Drying machinery is also being used to provide drying services to farmers through grain brokers, agricultural machinery cooperatives, and major grain growers.
Guo Zhenyan, head of the Zhenyan Planting Professional Cooperative in Dasu Village, Daqiao Township, Weishi County, reported a successful corn harvest. He stated, “There was more rain this autumn, the soil moisture was good, and the temperature was high, which was very beneficial to the growth of corn. The average yield per mu of the more than 100 acres of corn I planted reached more than 1,300 kilograms.”
In Xihua County, the corn harvest is also proving to be fruitful. Xu Rumin, director of the Xihua County Plant Protection Station, mentioned that the corn is growing well and yielding high yields, with an average yield of about 1,400 kilograms per acre.
The Xihua County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau has been proactive in ensuring a timely and rapid harvest. With 1,400 large combine harvesters and a daily harvest volume of over 100,000 acres, the bureau has organized cross-regional operations of agricultural machinery and provided guidance based on the number of machinery, harvest progress, and weather conditions. This ensures the reasonable flow of agricultural machinery for a smooth harvest.
Currently, the autumn grain harvest in many cities in Henan has exceeded 80%. The Henan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has issued technical guidance measures to maximize the use of drying machinery for drying services. Additionally, regional and emergency dispatches of agricultural machinery have been strengthened to facilitate rush harvests.
With these efforts, Henan is working towards a successful autumn harvest that will contribute to the province’s agricultural prosperity.
[Editor in charge: Zhang Qiaosu]