Power supply ensures hydration for rice grain

High temperatures and drought have recently caused cracks in several rice fields and reduced soil moisture in Xiangyang, Central China's Hubei province. In response, the local power company has stepped up efforts to ensure a stable power supply for rice irrigation.

According to Tang Guohai, an agricultural technology expert, rice in the grain-filling stage requires ample water, and inadequate irrigation could significantly reduce yields.

In Xingang village, located in the city's Dongjin New Area, 2,000 mu (about 133.33 hectares) of the total 3,200 mu of land are paddy fields. To cope with the drought, 22 motor-pumped wells operate in shifts around the clock to supply water and keep the soil moist.

Staff from Dongjin Power Supply Service Station and Lumen Power Supply Institute, both under the State Grid Xiangyang Power Supply Company's economic and technological development zone branch, joined more than 10 grid workers to form three teams inspecting irrigation lines and transformers in the fields under the scorching sun. Power generation vehicles were on standby to ensure uninterrupted pumping.

"We deployed power generation vehicles and upgraded transformers to guarantee electrical supply for both irrigation and households," said Qi Fei, head of the Lumen Power Supply Institute.

"In the past few days, after continuous pumping, the fields now have water. We feel relieved, and we're no longer worried about the rice yield," said Lyu Yuanxin, a farmer from Xingang village.

Qian Bing and Wu Shanshan contributed to this story.