Rains in north China drought areas to benefit crops

Drought-hit areas in northern China will benefit from rain that is forecast in the coming days, but output of autumn grain crops, now in a crucial growth phase, will likely still be down this year, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

As of Wednesday (August 26), drought-hit areas in five northern provinces - major corn and soy producing areas - totalled 5.97 million hectares, 37 percent of which were seriously affected, the ministry said in a statement published on its Web site.

Autumn grain accounts for more than 70 percent of China total grain output.

Drought-hit crop areas in five provinces in southern China totalled 1.56 million hectares, with 32 percent seriously affected, it added.