Windhoek: As climate uncertainty and resource constraints pose an increasingly significant threat to traditional agriculture worldwide, China is turning to agricultural technology to safeguard grain security. Despite persistent droughts in key grain-producing regions earlier this year, these regions have provided encouraging news with predictions for a bumper summer harvest, thanks to advances in seed breeding, smart farming, and a new generation of tech-savvy farmers. Most wheat harvesting across central and northern regions has been completed this month.

According to Namibia Press Agency, China, which has long prioritized grain security, has consistently promoted the adoption of advanced technologies and mechanization in its agricultural modernization drive. In 2024, the country's total grain output exceeded 700 million tonnes for the first time, marking the 21st consecutive year of a bumper harvest.

Earlier this year, parts of northern China experienced a combination of prolonged drought, high temperatures, and dry hot winds -- factors that typically threaten wheat yields. Data from the Ministry of Water Resources shows that by late May, the national average precipitation was nearly 20 percent below normal levels. Key northern winter wheat-growing regions had been affected by drought since March.

Liu Fengjun, head of an agricultural cooperative in the city of Gaomi, east China's Shandong Province, noted that drought-tolerant wheat varieties are expected to produce around 9.75 tonnes per hectare. Shandong, a significant agricultural province, often faces recurring droughts and water shortages, with about one-sixth of its 4 million hectares of wheat farmland lacking adequate irrigation.

Elsewhere in the province, farming is transforming thanks to automation and information technology. In Jiaoqiao Township in the city of Zouping, farmer Liu Shuguang manages a 73-hectare farm using autonomous machinery with satellite navigation and remote sensing. His unmanned farm utilizes BeiDou satellite-guided robots and drones, contributing to a rise in yields by up to 525 kilograms per hectare and an 80 percent reduction in labor costs.

Smart agriculture is flourishing across China, with AI, low-altitude technology, and information technology being progressively integrated into farming and grain processing. Data from China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs indicate that scientific and technological advancements contribute to 63 percent of China's agricultural output growth rate. Meanwhile, the country's agricultural mechanization rate for crop production and harvesting has reached 75 percent.

In Guangrao County, Yan Binghui, head of Tenghui Agricultural Cooperative, has also benefited from new technologies, with yield estimates rising by around 7 percent to 11.25 tonnes per hectare. Precision irrigation and a drip fertigation system have reduced water usage by 40 percent, mitigating drought effects.

The emergence of more highly educated "new farmers" returning to the countryside is reshaping Chinese agriculture. These individuals are applying technology and business expertise to rural revitalization strategies, consolidating small plots under centralized management. Agricultural experts, like agronomist Li Chuanliang from Shandong Agricultural University, are being dispatched to rural areas to provide training and support, instilling confidence in farmers as they adapt to modern agricultural practices.