context: Lockdowns on the movement of people to contain the spread of COVID-19 have raised fears that farmers will be unable to plough their fields and sow crops. To ensure food security, the Chinese government is now waging another battle---this one to secure the annual grain output.
On 3 Mar 2020, the Central Leading Group for Countering the COVID-19 Epidemic released 'Notice on Guiding the Spring Planting Work', asserting the determination to
- stabilise grain planting areas, by
- having provincial leaders take final responsibility for grain security
- incentivising farmers with minimum purchasing prices, production subsidies, and ag insurance
- guiding farmers to adjust planting structure, restore double-cropping rice in regions with suitable conditions, and expand planting areas of early season rice, as well as crop rotation
- restore spring planting adjusted to different scales of epidemic risk
- for low-risk areas: completely restore farming work while keeping an eye on introduced cases of COVID-19
- for medium-risk areas: take turns to do farm work while preventing introduced cases and the internal spread of COVID-19
- for high-risk areas: prioritise disease prevention before gradually restoring ag production
- tailor spring planting preparations and water management to the needs of production areas, covering
- rice seedling and transplanting in southern early rice areas
- wheat field management in summer grain areas
- rice seedling in the Yangtze River central rice area
- land preparation in north China
- irrigation arrangement and preparation in all areas
- ensure ag input supplies by restoring production and transportation, as well as market supervision and product quality inspection
- update irrigation facilities
- strengthen the capability of meteorological- and bio-disaster forecasting, prevention and control
- provide technical support for rural labour and agribusiness entities
- make plans for ag machinery cross-regional operations and ensure testing and maintenance services