Latest updates on SW China drought

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-25 03:07

BEIJING: Continuous rain induced by cloud seeding over the past two days has helped ease the drought particularly in east and southeast of Guizhou Province.

But its southern and southeastern parts have received less rainfall, offering little respite to the region plagued by the worst drought in a century.

The province, where 3.1 million people are short of food, has received 55 million yuan ($8 million) worth of donations.

Related readings:  $18M emergency loans for drought-hit Yunnan  Flowers fail to bloom as drought worsens  Severe drought worsens in SW China  Drought paralyzes power supply

In Guangxi, the disaster has affected 776,670 hectares of crops. In addition, 2.3 million people and 1.2 million head of livestock face a shortage of drinking water.

In the main sugar cane production region of Guangxi, large swathes of the crops have withered and output of white sugar is set to decline this year.

Sixty-seven sugar producers in Guangxi, 34 more than the same period last year, have shut down production.

The China Sugar Association estimated the total white sugar output in China would decline to 11 million tonnes, 9 percent lower than its projection in November.

In the hardest-hit Yunnan, 8.1 million people and 5.4 million face drinking water shortage. The drought has affected 3.1 million hectares of crops, 87 percent of total, and caused direct agricultural economic losses of 17 billion yuan ($2.5 billion).

The drought has been ravaging southwest China for months, affecting 61.3 million residents and 5 million hectares of crops in Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangxi, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Wednesday.

The drought has left 18 million residents and 11.7 million head of livestock in the region with drinking water shortages and caused direct economic losses of 23.7 billion yuan, the ministry said in a statement.

Joint efforts to ease drought

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-03-23 13:43

3 express trains to bring drinking water to Yunnan

Three express trains, loaded with 380,000 boxes of Nongfu Spring mineral water, set off for Yunnan from East China’s Zhejiang province on Monday, chinanews.com reported.

The 380,000 boxes of drinking water, worth 13 million yuan ($1.9 million dollars), are expected to quench the thirst of 16 counties in Yunnan, a southwestern province hard hit by the drought.

7.5kg of water per person per day

The five-month drought in a village in southwest China’s Guizhou province has turned water into a luxury. Each villager can get only 7.5kg of water each day since last August, according to Guangzhou Daily.

The county’s reservoir dried up five months ago, and local government has been dispatching vehicles to bring water along rugged mountain roads to 3,980 villagers. 　　

Spring tea prices to soar after drought

The severe drought in southwest China’s Yunnan since February has greatly reduced the output of spring tea, only 2 to 5 percent of last year, according to Information Times. The purchase price of spring tea is expected to soar.

Water the most precious birthday gift

A man carrying 100kg of water by ox to his mother-in-law’s 50th birthday last Thursday in Yunnan was given a big welcome by his mother-in-law, as he brought what was probably the most precious birthday present ever, Chongqing Evening News reported Tuesday.

Water has become a scarcity during the worst drought in a century in the village high up in the mountains in Yunnan. “Water is now the most precious gift for birthdays and weddings,” a villager said.

Drought doubles price of roses in Guangzhou

The wholesale price of roses has risen to 35 yuan ($5.12 dollars) from 18 yuan ($2.64 dollars) in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, due to the severe drought in southwest China’s Yunnan province, according to Information Times.

Famous artists donate to drought-hit provinces

China’s lead actors Zhang Guoli, Chen Daoming and film director Feng Xiaogang have donated 200,000 yuan ($29,300 dollars) each through the China Red Cross to South China’s provinces hard hit by severe drought, sina.com.cn reported on Monday.

Feng Xiaogang said that the donation was based on the agreement that he and Zhang and Chen had made on charities. Feng added that they would continue to contribute to charities until the very last days of their lives, according to sina.

Rice field to grow tobacco plant

Huili, a county in southwest China’s Sichuan province suffering drought will grow drought-resistant tobacco plants in rice fields at the end of April or at the beginning of May if rain still doesn’t come, the Beijing Times reported today.

The move is to ensure farmer’s revenue if the drought lingers, according to Gu Qing, an expert in Sichuan Climate Center.

The drought, which the local people say is the worst in a century, is forecast to linger till the start of the rainy season in May.