Drought Devastates Chinese Wheat
19 May 2006 Food shortages may result from a prolonged drought in northern and western China that has left hundreds of reservoirs dry and tens of thousands of wells nearly empty, reports the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
According to an FAO alert, some areas have lost up to 60% of their winter crops as a result of inadequate rainfall and high temperatures, and the areas planted in spring crops have been reduced substantially. The worst-affected provinces are Yunnan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei.
The drought in Ningxia started in 2004, and some districts have not received significant rainfall for more than 600 days. In Hebei Province, the level of groundwater has fallen by two feet. The affected areas are among China’s poorest regions, with 2004 per capita annual incomes of rural households of US $227 in Yunnan, US $226 in Gansu, and US $283 in Ningxia. Over half of rural households live under the poverty line and have limited access to food.
Get The Newsletter Today!
