April is the best time of the year for planting rice, China's longtime food staple. Nothing has stopped this farming ritual for centuries – not even COVID-19.

In the suburbs of Wuhan, villagers are seizing their best opportunity, planting rice seedlings in hopes of a good harvest this year.

"Although our work was affected due to this year's outbreak, the government has helped us coordinate agricultural materials," said Hu Dan, director general of Wuhan Yongwang Agricultural Products Cooperatives.

The cooperatives started 10 days earlier this year to prepare in advance, as fertilizer and seed companies gradually returned to work after the epidemic situation eased in Wuhan.

Hu added that the work continues in order, so they didn't miss the farming season in spring while preventing the epidemic at the same time.

Over the past few years, machines have replaced hand labor as more villagers, especially younger generations, choose to work in large cities for higher incomes.

It used to take days for farmers to plant by hand. But with machines, the same amount of work can be done within half an hour. Hu told CGTN that 90 percent of the farm work in Gangwan Village is now done by machines.

But there are still people who prefer to stay and work in the fields for the love of crops. Li Changgeng, 54, is one of them.

"It's like raising my own child. It pleases me to watch crops grow like children into adults. In a few months, the fields will turn golden, and it's so beautiful," said Li, who's responsible for pest control and irrigation of the rice fields.

Despite a global fear of food shortages due to the pandemic, farmers in Wuhan remain relatively calm.

"China has a vast farming land and many cooperatives. As farmers are busy working now, I believe grain prices won't be affected by the global situation. Food security will be guaranteed, as well as people's grain supply."

(Cover: Rice seedlings grow in a greenhouse before being planted in paddy fields. /CGTN)

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