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Drought not to hamper grain output: official

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-06 22:38

BEIJING -- This year's severe drought would have no obvious impact on China's grain output, a senior official said Friday.

The three-month drought in northern China has been eased by irrigation as well as rain and snow in some of the affected regions, Chen Xiwen, director of the office of the central leading group on rural work, said on the sideline of the annual session of the country's top political advisory body.

The prolonged drought was the worst in 30 years, Chen, also a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) told reporters at a press conference held here.

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The drought had threatened more than 40 percent of the total 400 million mu (26.7 million hectares), or 160 million mu, of winter wheat crop, Chen said.

By the end of February, about 140 million mu have been irrigated to relieve the drought, he added.

Chen also told reporters the output of winter wheat crop accounted for only a little higher than a fifth of the country's total grain output.

China produced 528.5 million tonnes of grain last year, and is aiming to keep the output at around 500 million tonnes this year to feed the country's 1.3 billion population.