Worst heatwave since 1961 poses a ‘serious threat’ to autumn grain production: China

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The autumn grain production makes up about 75 % of China’s annual grain output and China, until the drought gradually set in from July, had aimed to produce more than 650 billion kg this year. That seems unlikely given the severity of the situation.

“Since late July, high temperatures without rainfall persists in many parts of the south for the longest duration, the widest range of influence and the largest average intensity (of temperature) since 1961. The drought, advanced rapidly, along with high temperature and heat damage, pose a serious threat to autumn grain production and on the work on agricultural drought-resistance and disaster- reduction,” the statement jointly issued among others by the agriculture and rural welfare ministry and the water resources ministry said.

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Since July, the drought has affected over 821,000 hectares of farmlands in several provincial-level regions including Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui, the water resources ministry has said.

“Weather forecasts have indicated that heatwaves in some regions will last until late August, a crucial time for the growth of autumn grain, posing challenges to the country’s autumn grain production, which makes up about 75% of China’s annual grain output,” the official news agency, Xinhua said in a report.

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