Hot, Dry Weather Threatens Output in China’s Wheat-Growing Belt
Hot, dry weather is threatening wheat production in China’s key Henan province, with temperatures set to hit 35°C and soil moisture critically low. As harvest nears, the stress on crops could reduce output and force China to boost imports—despite prior restrictions—undermining food security efforts. Authorities urge timely irrigation and input use to minimize weather-related damage.
Hot and dry weather is threatening wheat production in China’s top growing region, potentially disrupting output of a key staple grain just as Beijing attempts to bolster food security during a trade war with the US.
Most areas in the central province of Henan are expected to be at “risk of hot, dry winds” from Sunday to Tuesday next week, with temperatures set to climb to 35C (95F), and low soil moisture levels, the local government said in an alert issued late on Tuesday. That will affect wheat growth, it said.
The dry weather comes just ahead of a harvest season that starts in late May and after heavy rains damaged crops in late 2023. If unmitigated, the latest extreme could drive China to seek more wheat from the international market in a bid to secure good quality supplies.
China’s grains imports, including wheat, plunged last year after Beijing asked traders to limit purchases from overseas to support local prices and farmers.
Authorities are urging farmers to guard against the weather risks by irrigating on schedule and applying fertilizer and pesticide, according to a post published on the official WeChat social media account of the Henan provincial government.
The central province produced around 38 million tons of wheat in 2024, nearly a third of China’s total output, according to official data.
Drought in the country’s northern grains production region is set to continue in the next ten days, while heavy rains are forecast to batter some areas in southern China this week, which could damage rapeseed crop and flood some fields, the weather bureau warned on Monday.
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Source : Bloomberg
