Local authorities in Yancheng City of east China's Jiangsu Province, a major grain producing region in the country, have made efforts to minimize the loss and protect grain growth amid Typhoon Bebinca.
Typhoon Bebinca, the 13th typhoon of the year, has wreaked havoc in Shanghai and neighboring Jiangsu after making landfall around 07:30 on Monday, bringing about 50 millimeters of rainfall by 08:00.
As the rice crops in Yancheng have entered the earing and flowering stages, their growth has been impacted by the typhoon, according to local farmers.
"We have experienced minor impacts, such as slight lodging on the edges of the fields, which does not happen in the center. We have to drain the excess water promptly," said Wang Xi, a large-scale grain producer.
Yancheng has developed an integrated agricultural information system that utilizes satellite remote sensing, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and other technologies, benefiting all the major grain-producing counties in the city.
"The government has installed a liquid level monitoring system and automatic irrigation system for us in advance. For example, if it rained yesterday, we can check from home whether the crops were experiencing lodging or whether the water level was too high, and immediately open the automatic valve through our mobile phones at home to automatically drain the excess water from the fields," said Wang.
The rice planting area in Yancheng surpasses some 400,000 hectares, and the recent severe rainstorm has posed significant challenges for local agricultural production, flooding fields and affecting crop growth.
"Currently, the rice crops in Yancheng are basically in the earing and flowering stages. In these humid conditions, rice blast fungi can easily infect the crops," said Xu Dongxiang, a local agronomist.
Starting this year, China has fully implemented a comprehensive cost insurance and planting income insurance policy for the three major grain crops: rice, wheat, and corn. The participation rate among farmers in Yancheng has exceeded 90 percent.
"We will assess the needs across the entire data network, including insurance, agriculture-related insurance and disaster insurance. The government support will accurately target the areas that require assistance," said Zhang Gong, an official from the local agricultural and rural areas big data platform.
"Information and data form a chain, connecting the government departments, farmers and insurance, working together to provide guarantees and services for agriculture," said Lye Wenjing, a local agronomist.
In response to Typhoon Bebinca, Shanghai has evacuated over 414,000 residents to safety, including workers on construction projects.
At a resettlement site, these workers have been provided with bedding, food, drinking water and other essential supplies. The local community health service center has also set up a temporary medical service station to offer medical care to the workers.
"The venue is spacious, food and drinking water are sufficient, and we can charge our mobile phones. There is also hot water and medical staff available," said Niu Junmin, one of the workers.
After Shanghai has lifted the orange alert for rainstorm on Monday afternoon, the workers at the resettlement site departed in an orderly manner and returned to their posts.
Jiangsu makes efforts to ensure grain production amid Typhoon Bebinca
