Snow relief for wheat growers
Source: Xinhua |
February 14, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
LIGHT to moderate snowfalls have brought some relief for wheat growers in several northern Chinese regions over the weekend, but the lingering drought affecting winter crops is far from being quenched.
Snow fell again in Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin and, for the first time, in most parts of Shandong from Saturday night after meteorological authorities had performed cloud-seeding operations to increase snowfall to help ease drought.
From 8pm on Saturday to 8am yesterday, precipitation in Beijing averaged 1.7 millimeters. But Shandong, suffering its worst drought in 60 years, had received just 0.3mm up to 11am yesterday.
The provinces of Henan and Anhui did not see any snow over the weekend, after their first winter snow last week.
Henan, Shandong, Hebei and Anhui provinces produce 65 percent of the wheat in China, and are the world's largest producers of the crop.
The latest two falls of snow in north China will be of limited help in alleviating drought and the country should continue with its anti-drought efforts, Ministry of Agriculture experts said yesterday.
"To effectively ease drought, the hard-hit regions require at least 50mm of precipitation. The latest snowfalls are far short of that amount," said Yu Zhenwen.
Snow began falling last Wednesday night over parched Shanxi, Henan, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.
But most regions in north China and along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers received precipitation of less than 10mm.
Saturday's snow was mainly concentrated in Hebei Province and Beijing with precipitation of less than 5mm. The major wheat-growing regions of Shandong and Henan provinces recorded no effective falls.
As of yesterday, the drought had affected 7.22 million hectares of wheat in Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, almost a quarter of which was severely affected, the ministry said.
The snow which fell in Beijing on Saturday night came three days after the city had its first snow of the winter.
Zhang Qiang, head of the municipal artificial weather intervention office, said the office was continuing its cloud seeding efforts to increase snowfall.
Snow fell again in Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin and, for the first time, in most parts of Shandong from Saturday night after meteorological authorities had performed cloud-seeding operations to increase snowfall to help ease drought.
From 8pm on Saturday to 8am yesterday, precipitation in Beijing averaged 1.7 millimeters. But Shandong, suffering its worst drought in 60 years, had received just 0.3mm up to 11am yesterday.
The provinces of Henan and Anhui did not see any snow over the weekend, after their first winter snow last week.
Henan, Shandong, Hebei and Anhui provinces produce 65 percent of the wheat in China, and are the world's largest producers of the crop.
The latest two falls of snow in north China will be of limited help in alleviating drought and the country should continue with its anti-drought efforts, Ministry of Agriculture experts said yesterday.
"To effectively ease drought, the hard-hit regions require at least 50mm of precipitation. The latest snowfalls are far short of that amount," said Yu Zhenwen.
Snow began falling last Wednesday night over parched Shanxi, Henan, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.
But most regions in north China and along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers received precipitation of less than 10mm.
Saturday's snow was mainly concentrated in Hebei Province and Beijing with precipitation of less than 5mm. The major wheat-growing regions of Shandong and Henan provinces recorded no effective falls.
As of yesterday, the drought had affected 7.22 million hectares of wheat in Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, almost a quarter of which was severely affected, the ministry said.
The snow which fell in Beijing on Saturday night came three days after the city had its first snow of the winter.
Zhang Qiang, head of the municipal artificial weather intervention office, said the office was continuing its cloud seeding efforts to increase snowfall.
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