April 5, 2010

Guangxi lowers grain production target amid drought

The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China had lowered its grain production target for 2010 by 1.02 % amid the worst drought in decades.

At a meeting to discuss spring farming held late last month, the local government agreed it would keep this year's grain production above 14.6 billion kilograms, 150 million kilograms less than the target it set in January.

The impact of the drought in Guangxi was slightly alleviated as artificially-induced rain fell Thursday (Apr 1) and Friday (Apr 2), but the drought was likely to continue without more rain soon, said Chen Jian, an official with the local weather bureau.

As of Tuesday (Mar 30), the lingering drought had left 24.25 million people and 15.84 million farm animals short of water, vice minister of Water Resources Liu Ning said.

Since autumn last year, the southwest China provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizho, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chongqing Municipality, have received only half the annual average rainfall and water stores are depleted.