Currently, the country is in the midst of the concentrated autumn grain harvest period. Across the main autumn grain-producing regions nationwide, the roar of machinery fills the air. Behind this mechanical hum lies the added cost of fuel. Autumn harvest machinery primarily uses diesel, and since the beginning of this year, influenced by the international situation, domestic diesel prices have experienced significant fluctuations. Taking into comprehensive consideration various operational stages including corn and rice mechanical harvesting, winter wheat planting and cultivation in the Huang-Huai-Hai region, and autumn land preparation in Northeast China, relevant institutions estimate that this year's "three autumns" agricultural machinery operating costs have increased by approximately 6 billion yuan compared to last year. The cost of fuel for agricultural machinery operations is directly tied to the vital interests of machine operators and farmers. So, has the cost of autumn harvest machinery operations at the field level actually risen this year? Will it be passed on to grain-growing farmers? What measures are various departments and localities taking to safeguard farmers' income, control costs, and stabilize grain prices?
Autumn Harvest Fuel Peak: Fuel Costs Up 7 to 10 Yuan per Mu
Since the beginning of this year, the situation in the Middle East has driven significant fluctuations in international oil prices. A recent report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development concluded that rising oil prices will increase fuel and freight costs, driving up overall commodity costs. Right now, China's autumn grain is being harvested on a large scale, which is precisely the peak period for agricultural machinery fuel use. A team from the Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently conducted a special survey on autumn harvest agricultural machinery fuel use in major grain-producing areas including Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Anhui. Team member Yuan Peng, an assistant researcher at the institute's Agricultural Mechanization Development Strategy Research Center, pointed out that this year's autumn harvest fuel costs have risen to some extent.
Yuan Peng: Nationwide, the retail price of 0-grade diesel is currently around 8 yuan per liter, while during the same period last year it was around 6 yuan in most areas 鈥?nearly 2 yuan more per liter. What does this mean at the field level? A normal plot harvesting one mu of corn consumes about 4 to 5 liters of fuel, and harvesting one mu of rice consumes about 3.5 to 5 liters. Calculating this, the fuel cost per mu is 7 to 10 yuan more than last year.
Yuan Peng particularly emphasized that the cost increase in autumn harvest caused by rising oil prices shows significant differences across different regions.
Yuan Peng: For the same mainstream rice harvester with a 6-kilogram feeding capacity, a flat terrain plot consumes 3.5 liters per mu on average; in hilly and mountainous small plots, it rises to 5 liters; and in lodged fields, some machine operators report fuel consumption can even reach 6 to 7 liters per mu. The impact of rising oil prices on hilly and mountainous areas and disaster-affected lodged plots is amplified.
Rising Oil Prices 鈮?Rising Mechanical Harvesting Service Prices? Operators and Cooperatives Bear the First Wave of Pressure
Farmers' grain-growing income is tied to national food security and the enthusiasm of hundreds of millions of farmers to grow grain. Only when income is stable will farmers be willing to grow grain and grow it well, ensuring the nation's food supply remains secure. Rising costs at any stage put pressure on income. So, has the increase in agricultural machinery fuel costs caused by this year's oil price fluctuations been passed on to farmers? Yuan Peng explained that rising oil prices and rising mechanical harvesting service prices do not move in sync.
Yuan Peng: In most areas we surveyed, mechanical harvesting service prices were basically flat or slightly up compared to last year. For example, in Jiaxian County of Henan and Weifang of Shandong, corn mechanical harvesting prices rose by 5 to 10 yuan compared to last year; while in Chongqing, Huai'an and Xuzhou of Jiangsu, many machine operators and farmers said service prices were the same as last year. A considerable portion of the oil price increase has been absorbed by machine operators and cooperatives themselves. It can be said that the mature socialized agricultural machinery service system has borne the first wave of pressure for farmers. However, it is worth noting that smallholder farmers feel the price increase for autumn grain harvesting more acutely.
Yuan Peng: For the same price increase, the harvesting price increase for smallholder farmers is generally greater than for large-scale farmers, because smallholder plots are scattered and their bargaining power is weaker. Fuel consumption is higher in hilly and mountainous areas and lodged plots, and cost pressure is also greater. This is where future policies can be more precisely targeted.
Local Policies Plus Oil Companies Step In: Exclusive Discounts, Green Channels, Fuel Delivered to Fields
To effectively strengthen fuel guarantees for agricultural machinery operations and ease cost pressures, departments including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have held close consultations with China National Petroleum Corporation and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, working to adopt measures that increase exclusive fuel discounts for agricultural machinery. Taking Jilin Province, one of the major grain barns in Northeast China, as an example, PetroChina Jilin Sales Company has allocated special funds to launch autumn harvest agricultural machinery fuel discounts at 674 rural gas stations, implementing tiered discounts where buying more saves more. Tian Ning, deputy director of the Marketing Department of PetroChina Jilin Sales Company, stated that the fuel cost per single agricultural machine is reduced by an average of more than 1,500 yuan, and by as much as more than 2,100 yuan.
Tian Ning: On top of exclusive fuel price discounts, branch companies in various cities have launched "fuel + fertilizer + diesel engine oil" agricultural supply packages based on local conditions to reduce agricultural procurement and machinery maintenance costs; and introduced "fuel + rice, flour, grain, oil + packaged goods" daily consumption packages to comprehensively facilitate rural residents' production and daily life.
In Henan, a major grain province, PetroChina offers a 3% discount on the retail price for agricultural machinery diesel and a 41% discount on the listed price for lubricants. In addition, Pei Feng, finance manager of PetroChina Henan Sales Branch, pointed out that the company has opened green refueling channels at diesel stations across Henan Province, set up dedicated fuel dispensers for agricultural use, ensuring agricultural machinery can "refuel upon arrival," and provides "fuel delivery to fields" services.
Pei Feng: For machine operators' fuel needs, we can deliver to the fields. We have dedicated small fuel tankers, and delivery is also free of charge, saving their time so they don't have to travel back and forth to refuel. We provide rest areas for machine operators inside our gas stations. If operators are tired, they can take a shower, rest, watch TV, and so on.
The agricultural and rural departments of Hubei Province, together with PetroChina and Sinopec, have increased exclusive fuel discounts for agricultural machinery. Since August, the discount rate across the province has reached 8%, with some cities and counties offering stacked discounts of up to 10%. Currently, affected by market price fluctuations, the discount margin has somewhat decreased but still maintains a certain level of discount.
Zhang Qiang from the Marketing Department of PetroChina Hubei Sales Branch: Affected by international oil prices and resources, the entire company's resources are currently under some pressure. But we are fully committed to guaranteeing fuel supply for agricultural machinery customers 鈥?there is no problem with fuel for this segment. As long as there is demand, whether at rural stations or national or provincial highway stations, we will fully guarantee supply.
It is understood that nationwide, agricultural machinery fuel currently still maintains an average discount of around 5% based on the current maximum price limit, which can save machine operators nearly 2 billion yuan in fuel costs and can largely offset the impact of current oil price increases. Yuan Peng suggested that the discount intensity could be further strengthened, and a precise subsidy mechanism linked to actual operational volume and fuel consumption should be established based on local conditions. At the same time, the "last mile" of good policies should be made smoother.
Yuan Peng: In our survey, we found that machine operators in some areas are still not very familiar with the preferential fuel policies for agricultural machinery 鈥?they don't know about discount cards or where to apply for them. It is suggested to further increase the reach of policy publicity, promoting autumn harvest agricultural machinery fuel discounts to townships and operational sites, so that good policies benefiting machine operators are widely known and enjoyed immediately upon learning about them. The survey also found that fuel consumption per mu in lodged plots is 20% to 30% higher than in normal plots. It is recommended to strengthen the promotion of lodging-resistant varieties and provide training on mechanical harvesting loss reduction and fuel-saving operation techniques. Overall, with the support of the national supply guarantee and price stabilization mechanism, the profit-sharing by oil companies benefiting farmers, and the sound socialized agricultural machinery service system, this year's autumn harvest agricultural machinery fuel supply is guaranteed, prices are generally stable with a slight upward fluctuation, and there has been basically no impact on farmers' grain-growing costs.