Shandong mobilizes resources to minimize crop losses caused by rain

To cope with muddy conditions, the province has deployed 5,431 crawler combine harvesters. In severely flooded fields where even crawler machines cannot operate, local workers have been dispatched to dredge ditches and organize manual harvesting.

Innovative methods are also employed. In areas such as Dingtao district and Yuncheng county of Heze, modified plant protection drones equipped with lifting devices are being used to transport corn from the fields.

"We now have over 40 drones conducting corn transport operations," said Zhao Xin, general manager of Yuncheng Xinfu Agricultural Development. "Each drone can cover about 20 mu (1.33 hectares) per day."

The Shandong Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has published a list of over 2,600 grain drying service bases across the province to support post-harvest processing.

As of Wednesday, approximately 53.6 percent of the province's corn fields had been harvested.

Duan Zhuoyan contributed to the story.