China’s Summer Grain Regions Race Rain to Secure Harvest

China’s main summer grain producing regions are locked in a race against persistent rainy weather to secure the 2026 wheat harvest, with provincial authorities deploying tens of thousands of harvesters, mobilizing round-the-clock drying operations, and coordinating cross-provincial machinery transfers to ensure every grain is collected. Summer grain accounts for 25% of China’s annual grain output, with wheat making up over 90% of that total, according to People’s Daily.

The Threat of ‘Rotten Field Rain’

A major rainfall event forecast from May 24 to 27 across central and eastern China has coincided with the concentrated harvest period for winter wheat, creating what farmers call a “race against the dragon’s mouth” (龙口夺粮). The Central Meteorological Observatory has warned of heavy to torrential rain, thunderstorms, and hail across regions including the Northwest, North China, Huang-Huai, Jianghan, and Jiangnan areas.

Agricultural experts explain that wheat faces three key seasonal threats: frost in March, wind in April, and rain in May. The late-May phenomenon known as “rotten field rain” (烂场雨) — widespread continuous rain during the wheat maturity and harvest period — can cause mature grains to sprout and rot in the field, inflicting severe losses on farmers.

“Now I’m afraid of ‘rotten field rain’ — once it rains, the harvesters can’t get into the fields,” said Zhao Yanjie, a large grain grower in Xiping County, Henan Province, as quoted by People’s Daily. Despite his concerns, Zhao noted that the wheat crop looks promising: “Every grain is full and plump — this year’s yield should be good!”

Provincial Mobilization

China’s largest wheat-producing province, Henan, has 85 million mu (approximately 5.67 million hectares) of winter wheat in the mid-to-late grain-filling stage. The province has stockpiled 45,000 crawler harvesters and advanced ditch and canal connectivity improvements to manage water drainage, as reported by People’s Daily.

In Hebei Province, over 33 million mu (2.2 million hectares) of winter wheat is showing normal growth. Local authorities have implemented “one spray, three prevention” pest and disease control measures across more than 35 million mu, using technological means to support stable production.

Hubei Province has faced the most acute crisis, with its wheat and rapeseed harvest coinciding with Henan’s harvest and creating machinery shortages. According to the Hubei Provincial Government, the province deployed over 90,000 agricultural machines for rush harvesting and drying operations. During a critical three-day weather window from May 20 to 22, Hubei harvested 11.85 million mu of wheat and rapeseed in a round-the-clock emergency operation. By May 23, over 85% of the province’s wheat had been harvested.

“Thanks to the rush-harvest team — if we had waited for the heavy rain to soak through, the wheat would definitely have sprouted and rotted. Now I feel relieved!” said He Zhongguo, a grower in Suixian County, Hubei, as reported by Hubei Daily.

Drying Capacity and Logistics

The shift from traditional sun-drying to mechanical drying has become critical amid the wet conditions. Hubei mobilized over 10,000 grain drying machines operating 24 hours a day, capable of processing 280,000 tonnes per batch. The province also dispatched 350 cross-regional harvesters from Henan and Shaanxi to supplement local machinery.

Highway authorities in Hubei have opened green channels for agricultural machinery transport, with Xiangyang and Jingmen highway toll stations reporting nearly 3,000 free passages for harvester transport vehicles since May 20. Local governments have implemented measures including operation subsidies, fuel delivery to fields, and accommodation support to attract out-of-province machinery operators.

National Preparedness

At the national level, China has prepared storage capacity of 110 million tonnes for summer grain purchases, with the peak purchase season running from late May to September 2026. The current average wheat purchase price in main producing areas is 1.25 yuan per jin (approximately $0.17/lb), above the national minimum purchase price of 1.19 yuan per jin.

Luo Shouquan, Director of the Grain Reserves Department at the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, stated that the administration will “strengthen communication with meteorological departments, provide extreme weather reminder services, and help farmers and enterprises reasonably arrange grain purchase and sales activities,” as reported by Economic Daily.

Climate Adaptation and Long-term Outlook

Professor Guo Tiancai of Henan Agricultural University and the Ministry of Agriculture’s Wheat Expert Advisory Group emphasized the need for long-term investment in climate-resilient infrastructure. “In the main wheat-producing areas,倾斜性支持 should be given to the construction of drying facilities and drying grounds,” Guo said. “In particular, the development of mobile small-scale drying equipment should be accelerated for disaster relief purposes.”

The article notes that against the backdrop of global warming, the rainy season has shifted northward, increasing the frequency and severity of “rotten field rain” events. This suggests that the current crisis may not be an isolated incident but part of a broader climate pattern affecting Chinese agriculture.

Southwest China wheat regions have already completed over 80% of their harvest, while the vast Huang-Huai-Hai region — the country’s breadbasket — is about to begin large-scale harvesting. With China producing approximately 140 million tonnes of wheat annually against demand of about 130 million tonnes, the nation maintains a supply surplus, but the quality and price of this year’s crop will depend heavily on the outcome of the current race against the rain.

What to Watch

As the May 24-27 rainfall event unfolds, attention will focus on whether the coordinated provincial and national measures succeed in minimizing crop losses. Key questions include the final impact on wheat yields and quality, whether weather-damaged grain will depress market prices enough to trigger minimum purchase price mechanisms, and what long-term investments in climate-resilient agricultural infrastructure will emerge from this year’s harvest crisis.