Chinese President Xi Jinping extended greetings to farmers and people working in agriculture and rural areas ahead of the third Chinese farmers' harvest festival, which falls on Tuesday, September 22, this year. 

As China is reaping a bumper autumn harvest, the Chinese president noted this year's harvest is hard won in the face of COVID-19 pandemic, droughts, floods and typhoons.

The vast amount of farmers and grassroots officials have carried forward the spirit of fighting the epidemic and organized timely spring farming while rigorously implementing epidemic control measures, which provides strong support for maintaining overall stability in economic and social development, he added.

In his message, Xi stressed that government and Party committees at all levels must adhere to the central leadership's policies on work related to "Three Rural Issues," namely, agriculture, rural areas and farmers, to create an atmosphere of the whole society paying attention to agriculture and rural areas and caring for the welfare of farmers.

China launched its first harvest festival for its farmers in 2018, which falls every year on the autumnal equinox – one of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, between September 22 and 24, during the country's agricultural harvest season.