Special Report: China fights worst drought in 50 years
BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Chinese media) -- China's drought has been slightly eased by rainfall in four drought-hit provinces, an official of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Tuesday.
E Jingping, secretary-general of the office, said at press conference that moderate or slight rainfall has eased water shortage for 960,000 people and 24.37 million mu (1.62 million hectares) of farmland.
Currently, 136 million mu of farmland still suffer from drought. 3.46 million people, 1.66 million heads of livestock face water shortage.
Drought-resistant seeds to help growers
BEIJING, Feb. 10 -- The Ministry of Science and Technology has listed 20 types of drought-resistant wheat seeds to help farmers combat the worst dry spell in large parts of the country since 1951.
Though the seeds have been available in local markets, many farmers still do not know about them, Wang Xueqin, chief of the ministry's agriculture department, told China Daily Monday. Full story
China's armed forces join battle against devastating drought
BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Chinese media) -- China's armed forces, which have frequently battled natural disasters, have been mobilized to help farmers cope with a severe drought that has jeopardized crops, people and livestock.
The Liberation Army Daily reported Monday that 2,325 armed police and 76 vehicles have been dispatched to farm areas in the central province of Henan since Friday. Soldiers helped farmers dredge aqueducts and irrigate more than 2,900 mu (about 193 hectares) of crops. Full story
Irrigation covers more than half of drought-hit wheat farmland in China
BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Chinese media) -- Irrigation has covered 52.7 percent of the wheat farmland in drought-hit provinces in China by Saturday, said the Ministry of Agriculture.
A total of 85 million mu (about 5.67 hectares) of wheat land have been irrigated in eight drought-stricken provincial regions, the ministry told a meeting on Sunday. Full story
Chinese Premier urges "top priority" on drought relief
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R Front) inspects the growth of wheat at Yangbei Village of Fanggang Township in Yuzhou City, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 7, 2009. Premier Wen inspected the anti-drought work in Henan, one of China's key wheat producing regions, on Feb. 7-8. (Chinese media Photo)
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BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Chinese media) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has urged officials in drought-hit areas to place "top priority" on relief work as agricultural stability concerns China's bid to revive its economy.
The fight against drought has to do not only with the safety of grain supply but also with the country's efforts to stimulate domestic demand, Wen said during a visit to central China's drought-hit Henan Province on Saturday and Sunday. Full story
China earmarks 86.7 bln yuan for drought relief
BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Chinese media) -- The Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Friday allocated 86.7 billion yuan (about 12.69 billion U.S. dollars) from its reserve to drought-hit areas in relief funds.
Of the total, 71.6 billion yuan will be given to farmers for buying relief materials, and the other 15.1 billion yuan will go to grain producers to supplement incomes. Full story
Rainfall expected in drought-hit central Chinese province
BEIJING, Feb. 7 -- A top weather expert said four to five periods of rain are expected in central China's drought-stricken Henan Province over the next three weeks.
Zhao Guoqiang, vice-deputy director of the Meteorological Administration of Henan, made the promising announcement on Thursday. Full story
Chinese president, premier order all-out anti-drought efforts
Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2009 shows a dead wheat seedling in the farmland of Taiping township of Huining County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The county has suffered from serious drought since September 2008 with about 150,667 hektares of farmland and 184,000 people and 326,000 livestocks short of water. (Chinese media/Han Chuanhao)
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BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Chinese media) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have ordered all-out efforts to combat the severe drought in the country's vast wheat-growing area to ensure a good summer harvest, a State Council meeting was told Thursday.
The central government on Thursday decided to earmark another 300 million yuan (44 million U.S. dollars) as drought relief fund in additional to 100 million yuan already allocated. The fund will be used to buy agricultural machinery and other production materials. Full story
China declares highest level of emergency for worst drought in 50 years
People barrel drinking water supplied by the local government at Chengguan Township in Ruyang County of Luoyang City, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2009. The city had received a reduced effective rainfall since October 2008, almost 80 percent less than in the same period of previous years. The local government has allocated some 25 million yuan (3.65 million U.S. dollars) for drought relief and crops protection. (Chinese media/Gao Shanyue)
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Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have ordered all-out efforts to combat the severe drought in the country's vast wheat-growing area to ensure a good summer harvest, according to a State Council meeting held Thursday. Full story
China ramps up spending to blunt impact of prolonged drought
BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Chinese media) -- China, the world's biggest agricultural country in terms of farm population, might find it hard to bring in a good harvest this year, with a four-month drought tightening its grip on large sections of the country's northern half.
The drought has added to the woes of the nation's rural economy, which has been affected by falling commodity prices amid the global downturn. All these pressures will make it more difficult for China to stabilize grain production, increase farm incomes and expand rural markets. Full story
Drought threatens China wheat production
BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Chinese media) -- Lack of rainfall has led to severe drought in northern China, affecting more than 140 million mu (9.3 million hectares) of wheat, said the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Tuesday.
By February 2, 141 million mu wheat in six major grain production provinces, including Henan, Anhui, Shandong, Shanxi, Gansu and Shaanxi, were hit by drought, Agriculture Minister Sun Zhengcai said at a video conference called to coordinate drought relief efforts. Full story
China asks for more efforts to cope with severe drought
BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Chinese media) -- Different levels of governments should collect strength to combat drought, which has crippled China's agriculture, said Vice Premier Hui Liangyu Tuesday.
He urged efforts to give drought-relief work top priority. Full story
N China to face continuous drought, persistent efforts needed
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Chinese media) -- Severe drought in north China was expected to continue as no rain has been forecasted for the next ten days, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said Monday.
The ministries said the current situation remained grim and called for prolonged fight against the extreme drought that began last November. Full story
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