China’s northern farmers brace themselves for more heavy rain and floods

BEIJING – China’s north-eastern grain basket is bracing itself for another deluge of heavy rain, heaping more pain on farmers in the region who have already seen fields flooded and crops damaged by wild weather in August.

Heavy rain is expected in some areas over Monday and Tuesday, and there is a high risk of flooding in parts of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, according to the National Meteorological Centre. That could inundate corn and soya beans and impact crop growth, the weather agency said on its website.

China’s north-eastern provinces are an agricultural powerhouse, accounting for around 45 per cent of the national corn harvest and 60 per cent of the country’s soya beans. The region has been battered by torrential rain, including from the remnants of Typhoon Khanun that swept through South Korea, which has flooded crops.

Some fields are still being drained and more rain threatens to saturate crops, according to a statement from the Agriculture Ministry issued late on Saturday. The government department urged local authorities to prepare for more volatile weather and secure grain production across the nation.

Soil moisture levels remain too high in parts of Heilongjiang and Jilin, delaying the growth of crops such as corn and soya beans, while heavy rain has flooded some low-lying land in Liaoning province over the past week, the weather agency said. However, favourable temperatures and sunlight in the north-east over the next 10 days may help to drain flooded fields, according to the agency.

Other areas are expecting more rain, including parts of Shaanxi and Henan provinces, and south-western and southern China. This is likely to affect some rice and corn crops, the weather agency said. Bloomberg