High-tech farm machinery ensures autumn grain harvest in Shandong's Juye

During a challenging harvest season with lots of rain, Juye county in Shandong makes sure its grain output stays safe with advanced machinery and fast government moves. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

During a challenging harvest season with lots of rain, Juye county in Shandong is making sure its grain output stays safe with advanced machinery and fast government moves. With over 721,000 mu (48,066.67 hectares) of autumn grain to harvest, the county is taking strong action.

To deal with wet and soft fields, 84 tracked corn harvesters have been quickly sent out. These machines handle muddy fields well, doing harvesting, husking, shelling, and straw crushing in one go. This tech approach, with smart harvesters, raises daily harvest capacity by over 10,000 mu and keeps grain loss below 2 percent.

"For us, the 24/7 drying operation is the real game-changer," said Kong Xiangxin, a big grain grower in Juye.

"The harvesters shell the grain directly, and it's transported straight to drying towers. This eliminates worrying about mold, which is a huge risk with wet corn," Kong stated.

The county's emergency plan started drying facilities with a daily capacity of over 2,000 metric tons.

This efficiency is backed by substantial investments. This year, subsidies for farm machines hit 9.94 million yuan ($1.39 million), helping buy 797 new machines. Plus, the wide network of 436,000 mu of high-standard farmland, with modern irrigation and drainage, is the strong foundation for this modern, tough, and productive farm system.