Drought and heat take toll on China's crops
Parched conditions now threaten production on more than five million hectares of farmland
Serious drought and a persistent heatwave in central and eastern regions threaten harvests from more than five million hectares of farmland, and have already caused vegetable prices to rise.
The drought, which is worst in Hunan and Guizhou provinces, had also created a drinking water shortage for more than five million people and more than two million head of livestock, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said yesterday.
It is unlikely to affect the total autumn harvest on the mainland because these areas account for a small portion of the total output. But for individual farmers, it means 100 per cent disaster
The persistent high temperatures had also helped pests flourish on nearly one million hectares of farmland in Guizhou, the Guiyang Evening News reported.
About 85 per cent of Hunan is affected by the drought, and one-tenth of the province is seriously affected, according to the provincial hydrological department. The rainy season there should have begun at the start of July, but rainfall since then has been the lowest in 64 years.
In Shanghai, the supply of leaf vegetables has fallen steeply because the month-long heatwave has severely affected their growth. The wholesale price of edible rape in the Jinshan district has doubled from last year, the Jiefang Daily reported.
In Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, where the temperature topped 40 degrees Celsius on most days last week, vegetables were scorched or suffered insect attacks because pesticides evaporated.