China's 2026 autumn harvest has entered its peak season, with more than half of the autumn grain crops already harvested and autumn and winter sowing underway, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

In Bei'an City, Heilongjiang Province, one of China's major soybean-producing areas in the northeast, harvesting has begun across more than 100,000 mu (about 6,666 hectares) of soybean fields. This year, local farmers expanded the cultivation of the high-yielding Heike 71 variety, and authorities deployed harvesting machinery based on field conditions to minimize crop losses.

In northwest China, the harvest of more than 10 million mu (about 666,000 hectares) of corn on the Guanzhong Plain is now in full swing, including 100,000 mu (about 6,666 hectares) at Huashan Farm in Shaanxi Province. Farmers are working through the night to bring in the harvest, with plows following closely behind the harvesters to prepare the fields for the next round of planting.

Pang Shuying, an official from a state-owned agricultural development group, was managing the harvest on-site and described the round-the-clock effort.

Henan Province in central China is also carrying out similar procedures for winter wheat sowing. In Fengqiu County, local authorities rolled out a smart agricultural service platform that delivers seeds and fertilizers directly to farmlands, saving farmers the trouble and cost of transportation. Covering 13,000 households in 19 towns and townships, the service saved local farmers around 2.1 million yuan (about 313,800 U.S. dollars).

Local farmer Hu Minfeng praised the convenience.

Beyond regional efforts, the ministry also launched nationwide measures, dispatching six working groups and science and technology teams to 12 key provinces to provide guidance and support for autumn harvesting and sowing operations and ensure their smooth progress.