STORY: China expects bumper summer harvest
SHOOTING TIME: June 11, 12, 18, 2024
DATELINE: June 19, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:46
LOCATION: JINAN, China
CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the wheat harvest
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): GUO BOBO, Wheat farmer in Wenshang County, Shandong Province
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CAO DIANYU, Wheat farmer in Hebei Province
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LIU CHENGBING, Wheat farmer in Jiangsu Province
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ZHU CONGHUA, Expert from Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): WANG TAO, Wheat farmer in Sichuan Province
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): GUO TIANCAI, Professor of Henan Agricultural University

STORYLINE: 

China is in its peak summer harvest season, usually spanning from May to late June.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as of June 15, China had harvested around 310 million mu (around 20.68 million hectares) of winter wheat, with harvest progress surpassing 90 percent.

The ministry said, this summer, the main winter wheat-producing provinces in China have maintained stable or slightly increased planting areas, with overall wheat growth conditions better than usual.

Shandong, the country's second-largest wheat producer, had harvested 98.2 percent of its 60.54 million mu of wheat as of Sunday, according to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): GUO BOBO, Wheat farmer in Wenshang County, Shandong Province
"I never expected that the wheat yield could be so high. The per mu yield of this wheat field is estimated at over 650 kg."

In many other parts of China, now is the busiest and most rewarding time for farmers.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CAO DIANYU, Wheat farmer in Hebei Province
"This year, I planted 15 mu (about 1 hectare) of water-saving wheat, and the harvest is good. The yield is expected to reach 750 kg per mu. From planting to harvesting, we had technical personnel providing guidance. After the wheat matures, it is uniformly collected. People's lives are getting better and better."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LIU CHENGBING, Wheat farmer in Jiangsu Province
"My family planted over 600 mu (about 40 hectares) of land. Selling grain is very convenient now. Everything is mechanized and electronically calculated. Today, I sold more than 80 tonnes of wheat, and it was done in about an hour. I'm very happy."

Behind this progress lies China's commitment to summer grain production by enhancing rural infrastructure, developing high-standard farmlands, and investing in the grain seed industry alongside scientific and technological research.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ZHU CONGHUA, Expert from Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences
"The focus is on providing support through technology. For example, we aim to replicate and promote high-yield, high-quality varieties and more efficient, energy-saving production techniques. We are focusing on high-quality sowing and planting, efficient field management, and reducing losses during mechanical harvesting. We are integrating supporting technologies for agricultural machinery and agronomy."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): WANG TAO, Wheat farmer in Sichuan Province
"The level of mechanization is now getting higher and higher. Starting from seedling cultivation, we use transplanters for planting, drones for spraying pesticides and fertilizers, harvesters for harvesting, and finally, drying rooms for drying the rice. The mechanization level is now almost 100%, making rice production operations much more convenient."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): GUO TIANCAI, Professor of Henan Agricultural University
"As to the increase in per-unit yield of crops, I believe that with good varieties, coupled with effective cultivation techniques and advanced sowing machinery, there is still substantial potential for significantly increasing the per-unit yield of wheat on a large scale."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jinan, China.
(XHTV)