China's Fall Grain Harvest Stuck in the Mud

Grain harvesting equipment can't get into muddy fields and the corn crop is at risk of mold due to heavy rains across much of northern China. This is also China's main winter wheat region, so delays in planting in flooded and waterlogged fields could impact next year's wheat crop. While corn prices in China have been under downward pressure and imports of corn and wheat have been minimal over the past year, this weather event could tighten up China's grain markets.

On October 9, the agriculture ministry and meteorological administration issued a warning for October 10-12 of continuous rain and waterlogging of farmland across parts of Northern and Northwest China and parts of the Huanghuai region. An "orange alert" was issued for Xianyang, Tongchuan, and Weinan in Shaanxi Province; Linfen, Yuncheng, Changzhi and Jincheng in Shanxi Province; Xingtai and Handan in Hebei Province; and Dezhou and Binzhou in Shandong Province.

Soil moisture October 9. Blue indicates excessive moisture.

The rainy weather notice advised farmers in high-risk areas to promptly harvest crops and exhorted them to dry grain and use ventilation to prevent germination and molding of grain post-harvest, promptly drain waterlogged fields and prepare land for autumn sowing of over-wintering wheat crops. 

Rainy weather during the fall harvest season is rare in these regions where most rain is concentrated during summer months. Many of these regions suffered from drought during last winter and spring, but a record wheat crop was nevertheless reported during the summer months.

Minister of Agriculture Han Jun inspected difficulties harvesting corn and preparing to plant the winter wheat crop in Henan Province on October 8-9. Minister Han commended upgrades to harvesting equipment in Zhoukou City to enable machinery to access fields by substituting larger wheels and using 4-wheel drive and tractor crawler equipment. Han also stressed the need to deploy grain drying equipment to farms and storage facilities to prevent soggy grain from molding. Han exhorted local officials to improve drainage ditches and to improve agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief capabilities utilizing "comprehensive grain service centers." 

Minister Han discusses tractors that can navigate muddy fields in Henan Province.
The rain apparently stopped for this photo, and no one has mud on their shoes.

Han stressed the need to plan for winter wheat planting, to increase the supply of seeds and fertilizers and to guide farmers on avoid impacts of excess soil moisture on wheat plants and late-sowing of wheat to ensure that winter wheat planted area remains stable. 

Minister Han's remarks raised concern over grain markets by emphasizing the importance of grain price stability, ensuring reasonable net returns for grain farmers, and coordination of grain procurement and insurance claims. 

State media in Hebei Province reported using 186,000 crawler-type harvesters since conventional equipment cannot access fields. These tractors can harvest over 100 mu per day--about 16 acres. 

The State Administration of Food and Commodity Reserves also issued a notice on October 9 demanding that grain purchasing and storage officials in provinces hit by rains prioritize grain procurement, coordinate deployment of grain drying equipment to farmers, ensure grain is stored in waterproof facilities, monitor risks of mold and toxins in grain, and the step up coordination of policy and market procurement and state and local procurement, and carry out targeted procurement and disposal of substandard grain. 

The notice advised officials to prepare to implement the minimum price procurement policy for rice, probably an indicator that rice prices are near the minimum level and also to avoid mixing substandard rice in State reserves. 

A wheat expert interviewed by Farmers Daily acknowledged the delay of corn harvesting and winter wheat planting, then emphasized that rains will replenish moisture in soil and aquifers, improving growing conditions for next year's wheat crop. He pointed out that extensive flooding in Henan Province during 2021 was followed by a big wheat harvest the following year.