China’s heatwaves stoke drought fears ahead of ‘critical’ autumn grain harvest
- The country’s meteorological service has warned of more extreme weather including droughts and flooding
- Chinese authorities have pledged a host of disaster-relief measures to ensure a strong autumn grain harvest
Chinese authorities are making disaster-relief preparations to ensure a strong autumn grain harvest amid warnings of more droughts and flooding across the country.
The China Meteorological Administration has said the drought conditions are set to continue and also warned about the danger of flooding, which typically occurs during summer.
With the all-important autumn grain harvest on the horizon, Chinese authorities are on high alert for the likelihood of more extreme weather events.
August and September are critical periods for the formation of autumn grain production
“August and September are critical periods for the formation of autumn grain production, so close attention should be paid to the impact of natural disasters and pests on grain production,” said Fu Linghui, spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics.
Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua said on Tuesday China would go all-out with disaster-relief measures to meet the annual grain production target of more than 650 billion kilograms.
The autumn harvest accounts for three-quarters of China’s annual total, Hu told a meeting on third quarter agricultural priorities.