Farming activities
As the nationwide battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic came to a critical stage, authorities in North China’s Shanxi province applied equal emphasis to disease control and economic growth.
At a meeting in the provincial capital of Taiyuan on Feb 14, Lou Yangsheng, Party secretary of Shanxi, required that local entities resume normal production and business, while applying strict measures on disease control.
The Party chief stressed the importance of ensuring supplies of products crucial to people’s livelihoods and disease control.
On the same day of the meeting, Lou visited farms in Dongyang township, Jinzhong city, to learn about the development of local farming activities and agricultural products supply.
He called on local governments to address problems such as the supply of seeds, fertilizers and farming machines, as well as ensure smooth channels for farming products’ transportation.
“Spring is the crucial period for a year’s farming activities. Agricultural production cannot be delayed despite the challenge caused by the coronavirus outbreak,” Lou said.
This year is likely to be a good year for grain production in Shanxi, according to local agricultural experts.
“The weather this winter, which featured more frequent snow, will benefit growth of wheat,” said Liu Zhifeng, an expert at the Shanxi Agricultural Technology Promotion Station.
On Feb 6, farmers in Xiezhou township in Yuncheng city were busy weeding on the fields.
“The wheat grows better with higher temperatures and more snow this winter. It looks set that we will have a good harvest in early summer,” said Hou Biewa, a local farmer.
“We had a quiet Spring Festival because of the outbreak of the epidemic. But I believe it will be over eventually and the wheat on the field will be the hope of our better lives,” Hou said.
In Chengzi village in Xingxu county, there are more than 130 hectares of greenhouses for various vegetables.
“We are supplying vegetables to cities in Shanxi and the rest of the country. We hope we can play a role in fighting against the epidemic by stabilizing food supply,” said Wang Zhimin, a farmer in the village.
The county of Qingxu is well prepared for farming activities this spring.
According to Xingxu’s agricultural bureau, local agricultural service companies now have 300 metric tons of seeds, 6,000 tons of fertilizers and more than 1,300 farming machines in place to help farmers begin their work.
“We require these companies to send disease-prevention messages to farmers while offering farmingrelated services,” a local agricultural official said.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia in December, authorities in Shanxi have held several meetings, drafting plans to ensure both disease control and normalization of business activities.
According to the Shanxi Provincial
Industrial and Information Department, more than 44 percent of the local businesses above designated scale — with an annual sales revenue surpassing 20 million yuan ($2.86 million) — have resumed their operations.
At a plant of the Taiyuan-based Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group, workers are busy producing train wheels.
According to Li Haitao, deputy general manager of Taiyuan Rail Transit Equipment, a subsidiary of the group, his company can produce more than one train wheel a minute.
“The products will be delivered to more than 50 countries according to our orders secured last year,” Li said.
“At this critical moment, we have implemented the strictest protective measures to ensure the health of our workers and the smooth delivery of products,” he added.
Li said the company’s exports have not been disrupted by the epi