Shandong gears up for summer harvest, sowing of wheat and other crops

East China's major grain-producing province, Shandong, has entered the peak harvest season for over four million hectares of wheat.

To ensure a smooth harvest, the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has coordinated with transportation, meteorological, grain storage, and petrochemical authorities to establish service stations.

The province's wheat planting area has been ranking second nationwide, with wheat accounting for about half of the province's total annual grain output.

More than 1.22 million agricultural machines have been deployed, including 172,000 wheat combine harvesters and over 4,600 crawler harvesters as backup, according to a news conference held on Friday.

Wang Jingdong, deputy director of the department, said that the concentrated wheat harvest window usually lasts only seven to 10 days.

"Summer harvest, summer sowing, and summer management are closely linked," he said, emphasizing the need to rush both wheat harvesting and the sowing of autumn crops like corn and soybeans.

On the logistics front, expressway toll stations have opened green channels for agricultural machinery, allowing transport vehicles with valid documents to pass free of charge with simplified inspections.

The Shandong branch of China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, has introduced customized refueling cards offering a 6 percent discount on diesel at designated stations. Over 260 service stations across the province provide free amenities, including rest areas, laundry, and meals, to drivers.

For grain storage and acquisition, Shandong has prepared 14.04 million metric tons of storage capacity and set up over 700 service points. The provincial grain and material reserves bureau will crack down on price suppression and delayed payments to protect farmers' interests.