The harvest season is in full swing in Yuncheng, Shanxi, with 4.35 million acres of autumn grain at a crucial collection stage. With over 70% of the harvest completed, local farmers are taking advantage of optimal weather conditions to gather corn.
In the corn planting base located in Donglu Township, Ruicheng County, farmer Hu Tianni is busy in the fields. Harvesters are moving back and forth as corn kernels are collected, creating a bustling scene of productivity. Once harvested, the corn is sent directly to drying centers for storage.
Hu Tianni, a resident of Xupo Village, has been working with the land since graduating from high school. Initially, he worked as a machinery operator but later transitioned into contracting grain production, founding the Yuanpeng Smart Farm. From managing a few hundred acres, he now oversees 2,000 acres, fully utilizing smart technology, allowing just three people to manage the entire operation with an impressive yield of 2,000 pounds of corn per acre.
“Previously, we relied on manual drying, which could lead to mold if it was rainy, impacting prices,” Hu explained. This year, he aims to tackle these challenges by constructing a drying facility. “By implementing drying processes, we can effectively reduce moisture content, ensuring safe storage standards, shortening the time from harvest to storage, and maintaining corn quality. This also allows us to sell at almost double the previous price.”
To support Hu in this endeavor, the State Grid Yuncheng Power Supply Company stepped in to help install a 200-kilovolt transformer using a non-stop operation method and assisted in checking the electrical equipment to ensure the drying facility could launch on schedule.
After four months of hard work, the drying plant was completed, capable of storing around 8,000 tons of grain. In the drying facility, a towering grain drying machine hums as it processes the corn through an automated system. “My drying plant is quite smart. The entire process from drying to storage is automated. One person can control the operations via the computer system, monitoring all indicators in real time,” Hu added.
With automation increasing the demand for reliable electricity, the State Grid established a regular outreach system, providing dedicated power support, which has been a great reassurance for Hu.
Throughout the autumn harvest, the State Grid implemented a dedicated green electricity channel, forming 131 ‘Electricity Assistance Teams’ and establishing 3,302 foundational service grids to create a ’15-minute power support circle’ for farmers. They intensified inspections of electrical facilities to fully meet the power needs of the harvest season.
