Zhejiang Wenzhou: Power Services Help Increase Farmers' Incomes

"The grain drying equipment runs around the clock, resulting in high electricity consumption and rising electricity costs. Thanks to tailored staggered production plans designed by local power supply staff during on-site visits, our operational costs have dropped noticeably," a person in charge of Xinke Modern Agricultural Service Center in Shanglinyang Village, Kunyang Town, Wenzhou City praised the targeted agricultural support services delivered by local power authorities recently.

Grain drying is a critical step in both summer and autumn harvests. High-capacity drying equipment operates continuously, resulting in concentrated power consumption and high energy costs, making electricity bills a major expenditure for agricultural operators. To facilitate farming activities and raise farmers' incomes, State Grid Wenzhou Power Supply Company has dispatched power service teams to rural areas since the start of this year. The teams provide dedicated on-site support for grain drying bases across the region, cater to the end-to-end energy needs covering grain drying, warehousing and processing, and formulate customized staggered power consumption solutions. Such efforts translate preferential electricity price policies from policy benefits into real savings reflected in farmers' operating costs.

Located in Shanglinyang Village, Kunyang Town, Xinke Modern Agricultural Service Center is the largest comprehensive agricultural drying hub with the widest service coverage in southern Zhejiang. Equipped with 16 large circulating grain dryers, the facility can process up to 350 tons of grain per day, with an annual drying capacity exceeding 5,000 tons, serving more than 2,000 farming households. Integrating seedling cultivation, harvesting, drying, storage, and deep processing, the center serves as a vital platform for ensuring regional food security and promoting common prosperity among local farmers.

The continuous, full-load operation of large-scale drying equipment demands both high power reliability and cost efficiency. Combining the concentrated, continuous, and high-load characteristics of agricultural drying, power service personnel provided on-site explanations of the time-of-use (TOU) electricity pricing policy for agriculture. They clearly outlined the price differences between peak, flat, and valley periods in plain language to help the facilities identify the most cost-effective operating hours. Based on the center's equipment capacity, daily load curves, and shift schedules, the team developed a customized off-peak production plan for each base. They guided the facility to shift energy-intensive tasks—such as bulk drying, equipment preheating, and storage ventilation—to valley-rate periods, avoiding peak hours. This strategy maximizes cost savings without compromising grain quality or operational timelines.

In the meanwhile, the service team conducted comprehensive safety inspections of the drying workshop's distribution panels, power supply lines, control cabinets, and grounding devices. The team identified potential hazards such as aging circuits, overloaded equipment and unauthorized electrical wiring, while providing on-site guidance on safe and energy-efficient practices to fortify a strong electrical safety safeguard for agricultural production.

"With the optimized power plan, we're now operating more efficiently during off-peak hours, and the monthly electricity savings are considerable," said the head of Xinke Modern Agricultural Service Center. The center plans to reinvest the cost savings into equipment maintenance and service upgrades, further enhancing its grain drying and deep-processing capabilities to better support surrounding farmers in boosting production and income.

Going forward, State Grid Wenzhou Power Supply Company will keep focusing on the power demands of agricultural production and deliver regular targeted services for agricultural power use. The company will bring preferential electricity pricing benefits, stable power supply and premium customer services straight to farmlands. Empowering modern agriculture via refined power services, the company will continue to support food security and rural revitalization.

(By Zhu Mengchun)