Yangtze region under worst drought in 40 years, agro-production severely affected, China

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China are now suffering from its most severe drought in 40 years.

The ministry in charge of handling natural disasters said that the drought had delayed rapeseed planting in the region. Furthermore, the total arable land facing lingering heavy drought was 154% higher than last year.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, temperatures were 1 to 3 °C (1.8 to 5.4 °F) higher than normal in the central provinces of Hubei, Jiangxi, and Anhui, as well as parts of Fujian on the southeastern coast.

The production and quality of rice, cotton, vegetables, and tangerines in the affected areas had been damaged.

Tangerine output in Jiangxi, a major producer, is expected to drop by around 10% year on year. The quality of the fruits will also be substantially lowered.

The weather forecast for the next 10 days said that the droughts will not subside, as precipitation will likely be 20 to 50% less in the affected areas, and high temperatures are expected to be felt through November.

On Thursday, November 7, it was reported that the Ministry of Emergency Management has allocated a total of 418 million yuan (about 60 million dollars) for drought relief in several provincial-level regions.

The emergency fund will be allocated to Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, and Chongqing.

Moreover, the central government has activated a level 4 emergency response, which is the lowest in China's four-tier national emergency response system.

More than 400 teams have also been dispatched in disaster-hit areas for drought prevention and disaster relief.

Julie Celestial

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