Photo Essay: Drowned Harvest Leaves Chinese Farmers Facing Ruin

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[para. 6][para. 7][para. 8][para. 9] Since September, the Yellow-Huai-Hai Plain—referred to as China’s breadbasket—has experienced severe flooding following record-breaking rainfall in provinces such as Henan, Shanxi, and Shandong. Fields were inundated, machinery stranded, and the autumn harvest became chaotic across five major grain-producing provinces. Compounding this problem, the prior spring and summer were marked by drought and extreme heat. By early May, some areas were officially in “exceptional drought” with wheat crops shriveling and dying due to lack of rain.[para. 10] Henan endured its most extreme heat and drought in 64 years, with July temperatures surpassing 40°C (104°F) in 131 counties. When rain finally arrived, it was excessive and untimely, creating further damage.

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[para. 21][para. 22][para. 23][para. 24][para. 25] Meteorologists attributed the extreme weather to an unusually persistent West Pacific subtropical high, which stayed farther north and west than normal, drawing ocean moisture into northern China and causing continuous rain after a prolonged dry spell. Global warming contributes to this volatility; as the atmosphere holds more moisture, dry periods lengthen, resulting in heavier, prolonged rains when they do occur. Such weather patterns, once rare, are likely to become more common due to climate change. Traditionally, northern China’s arid climate led to investments in drought rather than flood-control infrastructure. The rain arrived when sun and dry air were most needed for crop maturation, leading to a mismatch with farming needs and reducing crop quality rather than overall yield.

[para. 26][para. 27][para. 28][para. 29] In Henan, drying facilities were overwhelmed, with daily capacity far below the harvest volume, so some farmers sold spoiled corn directly to alcohol producers at steep discounts. Large-scale farmers saw major portions of their yield molded and unsellable. [para. 30][para. 31][para. 32][para. 33][para. 34] China’s agricultural insurance system—the world’s largest by premium volume—is inadequately responsive. Farmers often find payouts insufficient and policies only cover yield loss, not quality degradation. Ad-hoc “goodwill payments” and symbolic payouts often deplete reserves, leaving less available for real disasters. Insurance coverage is further limited by local government budgets, leading to a “quota system” where some regions insure less than half their farmland.

[para. 35][para. 36][para. 37][para. 38] Large-scale modern family farms, promoted as part of China’s rural revitalization, are particularly vulnerable, with only 41% insured and many dissatisfied with protection and claims. As the crisis passes, planting resumes, but much work remains to adapt Chinese agriculture to climate volatility. The farmers referenced are aliases to protect their identities.