May 30, 2009

 

 

Lack of rainwater and falling river levels are endangering more than 50 percent of grain fields in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, China's largest production base, according to drought relief officials on Friday (May 29).

 

Hou Baijun, deputy commander of the provincial drought relief headquarters, said six million hectares or 53 percent of grain fields in Heilongjiang has been dry since mid-May.

 

The average river level in the agricultural plain area was 0.39-1.96 metres lower than that of a normal year, he said.

 

The provincial government has allocated RMB460 million (US$67.3 million) of drought relief fund this month, which has helped dig more than 30,000 wells for irrigation, Hou said.

 

However, only 1.37 million hectares of the dry field were irrigated, he said.

 

This year's grain production will be compromised if there is no sufficient rainfall to moisture the land before June 10, he said.