After weeks of scorching heat and little rain, farmer Zhang Yunjing had no choice but to collect water from a wastewater pipe to irrigate her parched corn field in China’s eastern Shandong province.Zhang would normally use water from a nearby river for the half hectare (1.24 acre) field, but it dried up a month ago.
Record high temperatures have swept across northwest and east China, a key grain producing region, during the crucial corn sowing season, threatening to curb production in the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of the grain.
China, also the world’s No. 1 corn importer, produced a record 288.8 million metric tons last year and aims to grow more to achieve food security, but climate shocks are posing big challenges.The agriculture ministry warned this week that the drought is impacting the sowing and growth of new crops. Beijing has allocated 443 million yuan ($61.1 million) for drought prevention work such as watering, replanting and adding fertiliser in seven provinces.
Analysts said the drought, if prolonged, will impact freshly emerged seedlings, but a bigger concern is the upcoming La Nina weather pattern which typically brings heavy rain to the region and may damage crops.La Nina is expected to emerge in late summer, usually the end of September, according to China’s meteorological department.
