Low temperature affects China's wheat area

Adverse weather has hit China's wheat crop and slowed plantings of corn and soy in some areas, but these problems are so far seen as having only a small impact on production.

Lower-than-normal temperatures this spring have hurt China's winter wheat crop in some areas in the north while heavy mid-April snows could delay planting of corn and soy in the largest growing area in the northeast, government bodies said.

Wheat experts said cold weather has slowed growth of winter wheat in parts of Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong. Hebei, the country's third-largest wheat area, was hit the hardest.

"The bad weather could lead to a lower output in these areas, but the country's overall production may not fall because some other areas are expected to reap bumper harvest," said analyst Ma Wenfeng. It is estimated that China's winter wheat output could fall by less than 1% from 106 million tonnes last year.

"Farmers have applied water and fertiliser, but low temperatures have caused wheat to grow very slowly or half of normal size," said Shi Zhanliang, a wheat expert with the Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Shijiangzhuang, capital of Hebei province.

He said the crop, also hit by freezing weather early in the year, was seriously damaged in the Shijiangzhuang region, accounting for one seventh of the total wheat area in the province.

Concerns about freeze damage to the developing crop in China contributed to a 4% jump in US wheat futures on Tuesday (Apr 20), its sharpest rise in nearly four months.

Besides freeze damage, drought in south-western Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi regions since late last year could reduce output of grains, mainly winter wheat, by 1.89 million tonnes, the agriculture ministry and top planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, said in a joint statement.

China's north-eastern areas, the country's top corn and soy region, had the worst snow in decades late last year while lower-than-normal temperatures this month could delay planting of crops by 7 to 10 days.