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China's agricultural authorities will implement key technical measures to ensure autumn grain harvest, amid fermenting drought in the south of the country, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said during a national meeting on Friday aimed at coordinating drought-relief work for agricultural production in the south.

Autumn grain harvest accounts for 75 percent of the annual grain production in China, industry experts said. 

According to the meeting, since July, the country's southern region has continuously suffered high temperatures, and has recorded the highest number of days with high temperature, the biggest areas with 40 degrees Celsius and above, and the least amount of rainfall since 1961, which has brought serious challenges to autumn grain production.

Experts noted that although seasonal disasters including heat waves and droughts may affect the normal growth of some autumn crops, the country's autumn grain harvest won't be changed.

"The next 10 days is a period of concentrated tasseling of mid-season rice in the southern region, as well as a key period of damage resistance and reduction," Tang Renjian, minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said during the meeting on Friday.

China's national observatory on Saturday issued an orange alert for drought across many southern regions including Chongqing, Hunan and most parts of Sichuan. In the next three days, most of the above-mentioned areas may maintain high temperatures and little rain, and the drought could continue to develop.

"The key to achieving a full-year harvest of food depends on the autumn grain, which accounts for 75 percent of annual grain production," Jiao Shanwei, editor-in-chief of industry news website cngrain.com, told the Global Times on Saturday.

High temperatures may affect yields of some crops like mid-season crops, but it will not affect the overall autumn grain harvest, Jiao said, noting that the bulk of China's southern region enjoys abundant water sources, thus less rain will not have a big impact on crop irrigation.

The ministry noted that local governments should continue to spray drought-resistant and water-retaining agent in areas lacking irrigation and watering conditions. For the more severely affected areas, localities should harvest early and develop regenerated rice or late-autumn crops.

So far, the drought has affected 12.32 million mu (821,333 hectares) of farmland in six provinces and municipalities, including Southwest China's Sichuan and Chongqing.

China's Ministry of Water Resources said on Wednesday that it plans to replenish 1.48 billion cubic meters of water for the downstream of the Yangtze River, in order to ensure the safety of drinking water for residents in the dry areas and ensure water supply for irrigation of autumn crops.

The Ministry of Emergence Management on Friday transferred anti-drought supplies and equipment worth 11.67 million yuan ($1.7 million) to Chongqing, including 170 sets of water pumps and 60 units of sprinkler irrigation. 

Global Times