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Yangtze drought affects 5% of China's farmland
Source: Xinhua |
May 30, 2011, Monday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
Droughts have negatively impacted 104.4 million mu (6.96 million hectares), or more than 5 percent, of China's farmlands as of yesterday, the country's top drought relief authority said.
A lingering drought has affected 3.29 million people and 950,000 livestock in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan, according to the latest statistics from the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.
Zhang Xu, deputy director of the authority, said the five provinces are starting to struggle with water shortages as the summer farming season begins. There have also been drinking water shortages, he said.
Rainfall along the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze has been at its lowest since 1951, down 40 to 60 percent from the average level, the authority said.
A lack of rain has also led to lower water levels in nearby lakes and rivers, it said.
At 8 am yesterday, water levels at Xingzi Station, a water monitoring station in Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, were recorded at 10.79 meters, down 4.64 meters from the area's average level. Poyang is China's largest freshwater lake.
At the same time, workers at Chenglingji Station, which is located on Dongting Lake in neighboring Hunan Province, recorded water levels of 23.71 meters, 2.82 meters lower than the area's average level.
In Hubei Province, fishermen living by Honghu Lake are unable to fish there anymore, as the drought has almost completely dried up the 413-square-kilometer lake.
Figures from the lake's drought relief authority showed that the lake's total rainfall for this year measured just 100 millimeters.
The drought has also hampered early- and middle-season rice planting, the authority said.
A total of 1.96 billion yuan (US$302.4 million) of China's central budget has been allocated to drought relief work so far, the authority said.
It has also warned of the possibility of large floods following the drought, urging local authorities to ensure that dikes and reservoirs are in good condition ahead of the rainy season.
Economists are worried that the drought could push up the prices of food and raw materials, creating inflationary pressures. Controlling inflation is one of the Chinese government's top priorities this year.
Leafy vegetables such as cabbage, rape and romaine lettuce saw price hikes in mid-May, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
Cabbage prices soared by 23 percent, rape went up 19.8 percent and romaine lettuce surged 16.7 percent, the ministry said.
In April, the CPI rose 5.3 percent from one year ago, well above the government's control ceiling of 4 percent.
A lingering drought has affected 3.29 million people and 950,000 livestock in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan, according to the latest statistics from the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.
Zhang Xu, deputy director of the authority, said the five provinces are starting to struggle with water shortages as the summer farming season begins. There have also been drinking water shortages, he said.
Rainfall along the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze has been at its lowest since 1951, down 40 to 60 percent from the average level, the authority said.
A lack of rain has also led to lower water levels in nearby lakes and rivers, it said.
At 8 am yesterday, water levels at Xingzi Station, a water monitoring station in Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, were recorded at 10.79 meters, down 4.64 meters from the area's average level. Poyang is China's largest freshwater lake.
At the same time, workers at Chenglingji Station, which is located on Dongting Lake in neighboring Hunan Province, recorded water levels of 23.71 meters, 2.82 meters lower than the area's average level.
In Hubei Province, fishermen living by Honghu Lake are unable to fish there anymore, as the drought has almost completely dried up the 413-square-kilometer lake.
Figures from the lake's drought relief authority showed that the lake's total rainfall for this year measured just 100 millimeters.
The drought has also hampered early- and middle-season rice planting, the authority said.
A total of 1.96 billion yuan (US$302.4 million) of China's central budget has been allocated to drought relief work so far, the authority said.
It has also warned of the possibility of large floods following the drought, urging local authorities to ensure that dikes and reservoirs are in good condition ahead of the rainy season.
Economists are worried that the drought could push up the prices of food and raw materials, creating inflationary pressures. Controlling inflation is one of the Chinese government's top priorities this year.
Leafy vegetables such as cabbage, rape and romaine lettuce saw price hikes in mid-May, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
Cabbage prices soared by 23 percent, rape went up 19.8 percent and romaine lettuce surged 16.7 percent, the ministry said.
In April, the CPI rose 5.3 percent from one year ago, well above the government's control ceiling of 4 percent.
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