Farmers Busy Growing Rice in Anhui

A group of farmers plant rice in a village in Hefei, East China’s Anhui province on June 4, 2019. [Photo by Zhu Lixin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Farmers are planting rice during what is the year’s busiest farming season in early June, following the harvest of wheat and rapeseed.

As an increasing number of rural residents have migrated to cities for work, labor shortages are challenging the traditional agricultural sector.

Farmers, most of whom are women, have to travel from village to village to grow rice for others, earning 200 yuan ($29) a day on average.

The lack of rainfall recently has also brought difficulties, as farmers have to spend more time and money introducing water from afar to fields.

Land plots at a village in Hefei, East China’s Anhui province, on June 4, 2019. [Photo by Zhu Lixin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Water in a reservoir in Hefei, East China’s Anhui province has dropped sharply, as planting rice requires considerable water. Farmers have to introduce water from afar to their fields. [Photo by Zhu Lixin/chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of farmers plant rice in a village in Hefei, East China’s Anhui province on June 4, 2019. [Photo by Zhu Lixin/chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of farmers plant rice in a village in Hefei, East China’s Anhui province on June 4, 2019. [Photo by Zhu Lixin/chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of farmers plant rice in a village in Hefei, East China’s Anhui province on June 4, 2019. [Photo by Zhu Lixin/chinadaily.com.cn]