"Another granary is about to be filled, and it would have been difficult to manage without the loan from Qilu Bank," said Zhou, a grain purchaser, from Xulinzhuang village in Changyi city, after receiving a 1-million-yuan grain loan from Qilu Bank's Weifang Changyi sub-branch. The timely disbursement of funds has injected new vitality into his grain-purchasing operations. "The short-term capital turnover issue has been resolved, greatly easing our financial pressure and allowing us to expand the scale of our purchases," he added with relief.

As the season's harvest fills the granaries, Changyi city continues to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring food security—a national priority. In recent years, the city has focused on constructing high-standard farmland, promoting high-quality crop varieties and advancing modern agricultural techniques. By developing "quality farmland", cultivating "quality seeds" and applying "advanced techniques" Changyi has explored new approaches across the entire chain to stabilize grain production and increase incomes, reinforcing the foundation for long-term food security.

Grain purchasing serves as a key indicator of agricultural modernization in the region. Supported by technology and equipment, the industry has formed an integrated industrial chain encompassing transportation, drying and storage. However, alongside this expansion, financial needs have also grown. Changyi is home to a large number of grain purchasers, many of whom face difficulties when applying for bank loans due to factors such as short establishment times, small scale and insufficient collateral. "In the past, applying for a bank loan either required collateral or took too long. If we missed the grain purchasing season, we'd suffer losses," Zhou added.

In response, Qilu Bank's Weifang Changyi sub-branch has actively fulfilled its mission to serve agriculture, rural areas and farmers, in line with strategic plans to support rural revitalization. By precisely addressing the financing needs of small-scale operators such as grain purchasers and combining products like the "BeneFarm Loan" with "Farmers E-Loan", the bank has won the favor of grain purchasers thanks to its convenient approval process and timely fund disbursement.

The resolution of funding bottlenecks has not only injected capital into grain cultivation and purchasing in Changyi but also provided strong support for the sustainable development of the rural economy. In recognition of its outstanding contribution, the sub-branch was honored as an Advanced Unit in Supporting Local Development for 2024 in Changyi city. Moving forward, the sub-branch plans to further expand its pro-farmer financial services, actively explore innovative bank-enterprise cooperation models, and contribute greater momentum to strengthening Changyi's agricultural foundation, increasing farmers' incomes, and promoting rural development, thereby supporting high-quality regional economic growth.