Drought Hits North ChinaSome 400,000 hectares of wheat have been affected by a heavy drought in north China's Hebei province, one of China's biggest granaries.Government sources said that it is the fourth consecutive year that the province has been hit by drought. The province is estimated to suffer a shortage of some 800 million cu m of irrigation water. Because of unsuitable humidity and temperature, crop diseases have been widespread. It is estimated that 1.5 million hectares of farmland will be affected by crop diseases of one kind or another by the end of spring. Experts forecast that there will be a decline in grain output this summer, if the province is hit by more natural disasters, such as hot winds and hailstones. The government has mobilized local people and material recourses to fight the drought, concentrating on bringing more irrigation water to the drought-stricken areas and controlling pests. |
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