South floods and north drought strike: respond actively to ensure stable grain output and increased income

The main flood season has now arrived. Affected by the El Niño event, global meteorological disasters are frequent and widespread, China's severe convective weather is widespread, intense, and accompanied by heavy hail damage, rainstorms are frequent in the south, persistent high temperatures have occurred in some northern areas, and precipitation and temperatures in some regions have broken historical extremes. To effectively respond to the adverse effects of El Niño on agricultural production, on June 4 the Ministry of Agriculture organized meteorological and agricultural experts to hold a consultation on the impact of the El Niño event, scientifically assess the impact, and propose response measures. Overall, El Niño will continue into autumn and reach moderate or greater intensity. Affected by it, the flood season may see "south floods and north drought," with the degree heavier than last year; flood conditions may occur in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and areas to its south and in the Songhua River basin; relatively severe summer drought may occur in most of North China and eastern Northwest China; and periodic low-temperature cold damage may occur in Northeast China, making the task of fighting disasters and ensuring a bountiful harvest very heavy.

At present, a bumper summer grain harvest is in sight, early rice is growing well, spring sowing is proceeding smoothly, and grain production has gotten off to a good start, but the task of responding to the impact of the El Niño event and securing a bumper harvest of early rice and autumn grain is arduous. The Ministry of Agriculture will base itself on fighting disasters to secure a bumper harvest, strengthen guidance and services, respond actively and effectively, scientifically prevent and combat disasters, and seize the initiative to achieve the goals of stable output and increased income. First, strengthen disaster monitoring and early warning. Pay close attention to major weather changes, strengthen disaster forecasting and pre-assessment, formulate and improve technical contingency plans early, release early warning information in a timely manner, strengthen disaster monitoring and assessment, activate emergency responses, and implement defensive measures early. Second, vigorously promote scientific disaster response. Do a good job in defending against floods in the south, drought in North China, and early frost in Northeast China, strengthen field management of crops, and implement disaster-prevention and yield-increasing measures such as additional fertilization of rice to promote early maturity as early as possible. In areas of North China where drought may occur, irrigation facilities should be inspected and repaired in advance, drought monitoring should be strengthened, water-saving irrigation technologies such as sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation should be promoted, the irrigated area should be expanded, and disaster losses should be reduced. Third, strengthen technical guidance and services. According to the growth and development progress of different crops and the occurrence of major disasters, organize experts and technical personnel to formulate technical guidance opinions by region, by crop, and by disaster type. In key farming seasons, organize experts and agricultural technicians to go to the front lines of spring plowing production, inspect seedling conditions, soil moisture conditions, and pest and disease conditions, carry out roving guidance, and help farmers implement key technologies for disaster prevention and reduction and stable production and increased output. Fourth, vigorously promote public opinion guidance. Make full use of platforms such as the internet, television, and newspapers to popularize the impact of the El Niño phenomenon on agricultural production and scientific technical measures for avoiding and resisting disasters, vigorously publicize experience and practices in agricultural disaster resistance and relief, and promote the smooth progress of disaster prevention and reduction work.