Severe Drought Continues in China... Red Alert for Rice Production in Major Grain-Producing Regions of Central and Southern China

Jiangxi Province 96% 'Severe Drought'
4.076 Million Hectares of Farmland Affected by Drought...Poor Rice Crop Yield

On August 16th, the water level of the Yangtze River near Yanyang County, Chongqing City, China, dropped, partially exposing the dry riverbed. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] As the worst drought continues in China, it is also adversely affecting rice farming in the central and southern regions, the country's largest rice production base.

On the 20th, the China Central Meteorological Observatory issued drought warnings for central and southern regions including Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangxi, Chongqing, and Guizhou. The drought warning has been in effect for 33 consecutive days since the 18th of last month.

In Jiangxi Province, located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in southeastern China, 96% of the province is classified as an area of 'extreme drought,' suffering from severe drought conditions.

The water level of Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake supplying irrigation water to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River farmland, dropped to 7.39 meters on the 18th. Previously, on the 6th, the water level of Poyang Lake recorded the lowest since observations began in 1951 at 7.99 meters, and if this continues, it is expected to fall below 7 meters by the end of this month.

Although there is news of rain, it is expected to be insufficient to relieve the drought. The meteorological observatory forecasted that rainfall in the area will be below 10mm until the end of this month, so the drought is expected to continue.

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are China's representative rice production base, accounting for 65.7% of the country's total rice production. However, due to poor rice crop conditions caused by the drought, there are concerns that China may find it difficult to achieve its production target of 650 million tons (t) set for this year. According to Chinese authorities, as of the end of last month, 4.076 million hectares (ha) of farmland have been reported to suffer drought damage due to the prolonged drought.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.