Rice farmer seeks help online to save crops after typhoon

A rice farmer in Wuchang, Heilongjiang province, has taken to social media to seek help after her crops were damaged by floods brought by Typhoon Doksuri.

The farmer, who goes by the nickname Xiaofo, posted a video on Douyin, a video-sharing platform, showing her paddy fields covered in silt. She said that the water in the fields had been drained, but the crops were still covered in mud and she was not sure how to save them.

Xiaofo's video quickly went viral and received over 100,000 comments and suggestions from netizens. One Douyin user helped contact rice expert Chen Shuqiang from the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, who said that manually washing the rice has some effect but emphasized that the rice should not be toppled and uprooted during the process, as it would also affect the yield. Moreover, if the rice has already been soaked for four to five days, the root has suffered severe damage, making it difficult for farmers to save.

Overwhelmed by the vast number of replies, Xiaofo expressed her gratitude for the attention and suggestions. She said that local authorities have organized experts to visit the affected areas in Wuchang to guide farmers on post-disaster responses.

The heavy rainfall and flood caused by Typhoon Doksuri have affected Wuchang rice farmers in various ways. Some farmers have seen their crops completely destroyed, while others have seen their yields reduced. The farmers whose paddy fields are not soaked in water are also worried, as rumors about the yield of the Wuchang rice being entirely wiped out have begun to circulate online.

Many farmers are worried that the rumor would affect the sales of their rice, since consumers may think that their rice was not the actual Wuchang rice, or rice of poor quality.

A rice farmer surnamed Cao in Wuchang clarified that a reduction in Wuchang rice yield is inevitable due to heavy rainfall and flood, but the rumors saying the yield has been entirely wiped out are not true. He said that the local government is taking steps to help farmers recover from the disaster, and he is confident that the Wuchang rice industry will be able to bounce back.