HARD-WON HARVEST
When describing his mood swings over the past few months, Zhao Menghui, a farmer in Xingtai, Hebei Province, compared them to a roller coaster ride through worry, anxiety, relief and, eventually, joy.
Zhao manages about 55 hectares of grain field. Last summer, his fields were flooded, leading to a corn crop failure. Then in October, after 10 days of continuous rain, the fields were soaked, making him very anxious because he was about to miss the right sowing time for his winter wheat.
Just as he was about to give up, agrotechnicians sent by the local government came to his rescue, guiding him in draining and drying the fields. After the seeds were sown in November, he worried they would freeze over after sprouting. Again, the technicians advised him about the best course of action. This spring, Zhao received a government subsidy that covered the cost of pesticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. He diligently irrigated the field and applied fertilizers and pesticides in strict accordance with standard practices. As the wheat grew taller and stronger day by day, he was filled with relief.
In mid-June, the wheat
