Latest News

China promises billions more in funds to assist disaster-stricken farm regions

China's central bank said on Tuesday it will offer an extra 100 billion yuan ($ 14 billion) to banks to support restoring locations devastated by floods, after current severe weather condition harmed around 6 million acres of crops.

The world's largest agricultural importer has in recent weeks been pestered by Typhoon Gaemi lashing its eastern coast, record rains in its southern rice fields, and extreme heat waves throughout its northern corn and wheat yielding regions.

After state media reported Vice Premier Liu Guozhong required China's vast farming sector to promote a bumper harvest this autumn, the reserve bank announced it will issue a. additional 100 billion yuan of a re-lending center to support 12. areas with flood prevention and reconstruction initiatives.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will direct the. funding towards Fujian, Guangdong, Henan, Heilongjiang, Hunan,. Jilin, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces, along. with the megacity of Chongqing and the Guangxi region, and to. farmers, little and micro-sized firms and households, a statement. stated.

The PBOC had currently issued an overall of 2.61 trillion. yuan in re-lending quotas to support agriculturalists and little. firms.

The PBOC will prompt its branches in appropriate provinces. to make excellent usage of the recently added re-lending quotas ... ensure. the financing requirements of disaster-stricken business and help them. resume production, it added.

China suffered 76.9 billion yuan ($ 10.1 billion) in economic. losses from natural catastrophes last month, with 88% of those. losses caused by heavy rains and floods, according to the. Ministry of Emergency Situation Management.

It was the greatest quantity of losses for the month of July. given that 2021, ministry information showed.

Liu, throughout his see to Liaoning and Jilin provinces over. the weekend and Monday, advised officials to enhance the. agriculture sector's capacity for catastrophe prevention and. mitigation, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

He also prompted procedures to drain accumulated water,. promote the repair of affected crops and guide farmers in. replanting locations where crops were ruined, the report included.

Manufacturers from the U.S. to Brazil and Indonesia will be. enjoying to see whether China will increase its food imports to. satisfy the needs of its 1.4 billion individuals.

A cut in domestic farm output could boost the Asian. giant's need for overseas materials, which would impact worldwide. food supply and prices.

Beijing envisions 92% self-sufficiency in staple grains. and beans by 2033, up from 84% throughout 2021-2023.

However a boost in the number of severe weather events. calls that into concern.

Natural catastrophes in July affected nearly 26.4 million. people across China, with 328 either dead or missing. More than. one million individuals were transferred, 12,000 homes collapsed and. 157,000 more were damaged.

Some 2.42 million hectares

(source: Reuters)