One of the worst droughts in 200 years is ravaging Shandong Province and jeopardizing winter wheat production, Xinhua reports.
The province has seen only 12 millimetres of rain since September last year. The four-month drought has affected 6.4 million hectares of farmland in eight provinces throughout the country, accounting for 35.1% of the wheat land and 21.7% of its total farmland, the Ministry of Agriculture announced Monday.
On Friday the central government announced a grade II emergency in eight drought-hit provinces, including Shandong, mandated daily damage reports and sent experts and relief materials to affected wheat growing areas.