State media say more than 1.9 million hectares of crops were damaged by flooding in central and southern China, reports Reuters. It was not clear whether heavy rains and the resultant floods would affect the summer grain crop, forecast for 140 million tonnes.
The Xinhua news agency said more than 1.9 million hectares, equal to 4.7 million acres, of cropland were damaged and an additional 295,000 hectares were destroyed, resulting in losses of 38.2 billion yuan. Prime Minister Ki Keqiang visited Anhui Province, one of the areas hit hardest by the storms and flooding.
China, the world’s most populous nation, also is one of the major agricultural powers. It has 111 million hectares of arable land, which accounts for 13 percent of its land mass and is equal to a comparatively small 0.1 hectare per person, according to World Bank data.