China's Drought 2011 - Crops Threatened

China’s Drought 2011 – Crops Threatened

BBC-News

January 24, 2011

More than 50% 0f l, used to grow wheat in Shandong has been hit by the drought

A prolonged dry spell in parts 0f northern, central , eastern China is threatening both crops , water supplies, Chinese state media says.

Shandong province is experiencing its driest weather f0r60 years.

Half the wheat-growing l, there is affected, while almost a quarter 0f a million people face drinking water shortages, the China Daily said.

Beijing has also been experiencing its longest dry spell f0rmore than 30 years, another state daily said.

The Chinese capital has had notsignificant rainfall f0rthree months, the Beijing Times reported.

Analysts say this drought is likely to put further pressure on food prices, which have been rising sharply f0rmonths.

'Big losses'

Earlier this month, the authorities pledged $15bn (£9.4bn; 98.6bn yuan) in support to help farmers cope with the effect 0f the drought.

Guo Tiancai, a wheat expert at the agriculture ministry, said that although measures to date were providing adequate irrigation f0rthe winter wheat crop, further drought would be damaging.

"As the temperature warms up in spring , wheat grows faster, any measures which are not in place during the period could cause big losses to the final yield... immeasurable losses," he wrote in a notice on the ministry's website.

In Shandong, many areas had seen notrain f0rfour months, the provincial water bureau said. Fire trucks were being used to deliver water to 240,000 people , 107,000 livestock.

The northern provinces 0f Shanxi , Hebei have also experienced lower than average rainfall, while the central province 0f Henan is facing drought.

Visiting Henan at the weekend, Premier Wen Jiabao called f0rmore investment in technologies aimed at reducing the impact 0f drought, China Daily said.

Forecasters say the dry weather could continue well into the spring.