Heilongjiang, one of China’s primary grain producers, has been affected by the residual circulation of Super Typhoon “Doksuri”. Since the 2nd of the month, torrential rain exceeding 100 mm has lashed Wuchang City in Harbin for several days, causing significant damage. This situation has sparked concerns about the harvest of the locally famous “Wuchang Rice”.
According to official data, Wuchang City, one of the top five rice-producing counties in the country, produced an annual rice yield of 1.92 million tons in 2022.
The heavy rain in Wuchang has finally ceased, but many low-lying areas are still flooded. Despite the break in weather, numerous rice seedlings remain submerged, and many are likely to have been lost completely.
One farmer with about 45 mu of land reported that only a few mu have survived, leading to a potential loss of over 100,000 RMB.
However, some farmers remain optimistic. One farmer who owns over 500 mu of land stated that about 60 mu were affected by the flood, but over 400 mu remain unaffected. Due to lower temperatures this year, the yield was expected to be lower anyway. Still, this year’s yield should surpass half of previous years, which might lead to higher prices.
Local farmers quoted by The Paper shared their anxieties and challenges in the face of these extreme weather conditions. All are silently praying for the rain to stop, fearing a significant loss of their hard-grown crop only two months away from the autumn harvest.