China: Heat and drought threaten crops and worry authorities


Sébastien Le Belzic, edited by Ophélie Artaud

China is affected by a heat wave and an unprecedented drought. The rivers are dry, and rice, corn and soybeans will certainly be in short supply this year. In all, 20% of the autumn harvests have already been lost. A situation that worries the Chinese, whose country has already been hit by episodes of deadly famines in its history.

The list is simply endless. That of the regions of the world affected by drought. Europe, of course, but also Africa, the United States and China, which is going through an unprecedented heat wave to the point of threatening the crops and food security of this Asian giant. Europe 1 has noted the extent of the difficulties. The Blue River is dry. The Yangtze, the third largest river in the world, crosses China over more than 6,000 kilometers and feeds the vast plains of the center, while it is the country’s grain basket. A historic drought with dramatic consequences for agriculture: 20% of the autumn harvests have already been lost while temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees for more than two months.

Rice, corn and soy will run out

“Such a long period of high temperatures in these regions endangers crops, such as rice, which cannot tolerate the lack of water. This is the worst drought and the worst heat wave for at least 40 years”, underlines the director from the national meteorological centre.

Rice, but also corn and soy. Cereals that are found on the plates of all Chinese but which, this year, will be sorely lacking. This heatstroke comes on top of the Covid-related health restrictions that have already delayed seeding in the spring. Food security is a sensitive subject in China because the country has in its history been hit by deadly episodes of famine, bad harvests risk increasing the country’s imports at a time when the grain supply is already being undermined by the war in Ukraine.



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