Automation helps China’s wheat harvesters earn more

Xu Xiaosong and his harvester

Each year when the wheat harvest comes, a group of men travel around the country to earn a living reaping wheat for growers. In the past, Chinese farmers reaped wheat with their bare hands, but today the human labor has been largely replaced by machines.

By driving combined harvesters, wheat workers in Chengdu, Sichuan province can secure an annual income of over 100,000 RMB ($15,000). Workers must obtain a driver's license before they can be hired for labor on farms. In the busy season, they usually work from morning to night, resting only to eat. Though the work is hard and hot, many farmers regard operating combined harvesters as a new and lucrative profession.

Xu Xiaosong, one of the wheat workers, said the hard work is bearable as it brings considerable income. In 2015, Xu bought a combined harvester for 100,000 RMB. Now Xu and his fellow drivers can earn a monthly net income of 20,000 RMB ($30,000).