Heavy rainfall in Henan damages autumn crops including corn and soybeans

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Publish time: 7th September, 2021      Source: CCM
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  According to data released by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on July 30th, around 970 thousand hectares of crops in the Henan Province were affected by recent heavy rain and flooding, with around 630 thousand hectares damaged, and 370 thousand hectares made completely unharvestable. In 2020, Henan's grain output was 68.26 million tons, ranking second in the country, of which corn production accounted for about 8% of the country's total.

  

  The crops affected by the flooding are mainly autumn crops such as corn, peanuts and soybeans. The disaster-stricken areas are mainly concentrated in Xinxiang, Zhoukou, Kaifeng, Anyang, Jiaozuo, Hebi, and Zhengzho. The surrounding counties and towns of Xinxiang, Hebi, Anyang, Zhoukou and other places also have a lot of stagnant water, which will affect the growth of corn in those areas.

  

  Henan farmers follow replanting plan to recover from losses

  The main factors negatively affecting the growth of autumn crops are deep water, low temperature, and frequent occurrence of pests and diseases after the disaster. In particular, corn and peanuts do not grow well in cold temperatures.

  

  Furthermore, much corn has passed the seedling stage, and the many regions in northern Henan remain waterlogged. Once the crop rhizomes are soaked and necrotic, they will be completely unharvestable. Even if these crops survive, they will still face corn stem rot and bacterial wilt, as well as other diseases.

  

  The Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Henan Province stated on July 26 that all localities should promptly replant unharvestable farmland and strive to make up for the losses as much as possible. On the unharvestable land, authorities recommended planting autumn crops with short growth periods and high economic value, such as silage corn, soybeans, and mini potatoes, as well as fast-growing vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, coriander, amaranth, and bamboo leaf vegetables.

  

  Authorities predict that disaster will have limited impact on domestic grain prices

  Pan Wenbo, director of the Planting Management Department of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs gave a statement regarding whether the heavy rain and floods in Henan will affect domestic food supply and prices. Pan pointed out that despite flooding, more than 4 million hectares of unaffected farmland remains in Henan and is growing better than usual. Pan stated that it is expected that the high crop yields in the disaster-free areas will make up for some of the losses in the disaster areas. Pan concluded that the impact of the heavy rains and floods in Henan on the grain market will be partial and short-term, and the overall impact on China's grain production and supply will be relatively limited.

  

  According to data from China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the national average purchase price for corn was about 2.6 yuan per kilogram on July 26, which indicates that the price is remaining stable. Ke Tang, an authority from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, pointed out that although the operation of China's grain market is affected by market expectations, capital speculation and other factors, it mainly depends on the fundamentals of supply and demand. Tang stated that this year, China's summer grains have already been harvested, and autumn grains will grow sufficiently with replanting measures. In addition, the total grain inventory is sufficient, and the foundation for food supply and price stability is solid. Tang predicted that grain prices are expected to continue to be stable in the future.

  

  For more information, please check our Crop Farming China E-News.