February 23, 2012
China's major grain producing areas fight drought
China's northeastern region is carrying out various measures to fight drought and promote spring planting in an effort to improve conditions for the 2012 bumper crop.
Northeastern China is the country's main grain production area, with Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces as well as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region yielding 23% of the country's total grain output.
The regions have been seeing less rainfall since last autumn, with precipitation down 30-80% compared with a normal year.
The drought has affected 4.49 million hectares of cropland in Heilongjiang Province, the country's largest grain producing province, 1.1 million hectares more than the same period of last year.
The province's meteorological authority forecasts that Heilongjiang may face severe drought in spring with less-than-normal rainfalls and higher-than-usual temperature in the following three months.
Meanwhile, Jilin and Liaoning provinces are unlikely to have widespread rains in the following period.
Less rainfall will pose a threat to spring irrigation in Northeast China. China sows early rice in early April and corn in May. Northeast China is the country's major corn production base, while rice is mainly grown in south China.
The Ministry of Agriculture has urged local agricultural departments to prepare for a possible spring drought in the country's northeastern regions. Agricultural authorities at all levels should make early arrangements for spring seeding in the drought-stricken regions, rendering more policy and technology supports, said Chen Mengshan, chief economist with the ministry.
In response to the drought, local governments of northeastern areas have already launched the drought-relief work. Jilin province is now trying every effort to ensure irrigation in spring planting. Heilongjiang will work on water resource engineering projects, and will continue to promote water saving technology including trickle irrigation and large-scale sprinkling irrigation.
