China News Service, Beijing, August 13 (Reporter Chen Su) This year, China has experienced heavy floods and large areas of crops have been affected. Will the floods affect China's food security? Zhou Xuewen, Secretary-General of China's National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, Deputy Minister of Emergency Management and Deputy Minister of Water Resources, stated on the 13th that China's disaster-stricken areas are resuming production and life in an orderly manner, speeding up the rush to plant crops, and trying their best to minimize economic losses.
At the press conference of the State Council Information Office held that day, Zhou Xuewen said that this year's floods caused 6,032.6 thousand hectares of crops to be damaged, of which 1140.8 thousand hectares had no harvest, mainly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River area. "A total of more than 800 weizi (dikes for waterproofing fields in low-lying areas) entered the water. Some weizi harvested the early rice before the water entered, but some had not had time to harvest. Jiangxi grabbed about one-third of the harvest and flooded in Anhui. It happened later, and more rush to harvest."
Zhou Xuewen said that at present, the affected areas are organizing centralized drainage, rushing to plant late rice and some cash crops, and the affected people have also returned to their homes in an orderly manner, and strive to minimize economic losses.
Regarding the issue of food security, Zhou Xuewen said that historically, China’s flooded years are often harvest years, because China is already short of water resources, and water resources guarantee conditions are better in wet years and crops can grow better.
"Through various disaster relief measures, strengthening planting management, and through some agricultural techniques, this year's floods will not have an impact on China's food security." Zhou Xuewen said. (Finish)