China’s Covid Controls Are Disrupting Spring Planting

Jilin, a major agricultural province in China’s northeast, is struggling to stabilize its crop production, especially corn, as strict anti-Covid measures have hampered the movement of farmers and materials, threatening spring planting.

The spring cultivation period has begun, but farmers and industry insiders have told Caixin that Jilin faces labor shortages and many farmers are finding it hard to secure supplies such as seeds, fertilizer and pesticides from both inside and outside of the province.