| The central government is increasingly concerned over possible negative impacts to the country's agricultural output caused by the unusual climate, researchers said.
A conference analyzing meteorological conditions in May and the potential negative impact on spring plowing in the country was held by the Ministry of Agriculture and China Meteorological Administration at the end of last month.
Temperatures in major grain production regions will rise very quickly the first 10 days of this month, bringing a golden period for plowing, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, since the average temperature in May will be a little higher than pervious years, measures to prevent winter wheat from being hit by disasters, such as dry hot winds, should be taken as soon as possible, it said.
"Climate elements are always changing and complex, so it's really hard to predict and evaluate the impact on agricultural production," said Li Chenggui, a rural policy researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"However, due to the recent frequency of extreme weather in China, giving advance warning will be an important task for the government," he said.
With the drought in Southwest China, enlarging areas to plant crops is the top task, the ministry said.
However, Li said although the severe drought has decreased local output, the country is set to reap a grain harvest and see its prices stabilize.
"The drought-hit areas aren't major grain producers. For example, only 2.5 percent of the country's total grain yield comes from Yunnan province. So the drought won't greatly affect the whole country," Li said.
China also suffered from a severe drought last year in the northwestern and northern regions - the main grain production areas - but the country still saw a harvest last year. Therefore, there is no need to worry too much about the drought this year, he said.
China has increased its grain yield for six consecutive years. Currently, the country has up to 235 million tons of food reserved for disasters or famine, and 1.8 million tons have been delivered to drought-hit areas to stabilize local grain prices.
As supply increases, prices are expected to go down. But given the government's effective regulation of the grain market, prices will not fluctuate much, Li said.
"As scheduled, the country will also continue to apply its minimum grain purchase price system this year, which will prevent prices from falling dramatically," he said. |
