Northeast China Collects Money to Fight Against DroughtOngoing donation activities in northeast China's Liaoning Province are expected to reduce economic losses brought by a long period of drought.Up to now, local governmental officials have donated 3.844 million yuan (about 461,280 US dollars). The Liaoning Provincial Economic and Trade Committee has called on some 70 local enterprises with more than 5 million yuan in profits to donate a total 100 million yuan. However, this amount will be rather small in dealing with drought-stricken farmland, withered crops and dying livestock due to the most severe drought in the last 50 years. High temperatures and lack of rain in the province are predicted to reduce the local grain yield by over 5 billion kg, or 10 billion yuan of losses. So far, 2.786 million hectares of farmland has been affected by drought, or 76 percent of the province's total. Water shortages have also affected the daily life of over 2 million local residents and nearly 1 million heads of livestock. No deaths nor epidemics have been reported in the drought-hit areas so far. The province distributed donations to the drought-stricken areas, providing farmers with interest-free loans to grow vegetables, and setting up temporary water-supply facilities. The drought also forced the province to breed next year's crop seeds in Hainan province, which will cost another 30 million yuan. |
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