China - Wheat May Recover From Drought

On 17 February 2011 Bloomberg News followed up on recent reports that China's wheat was going to fail noting that in fact, might recover.  Chinese officials are prepared to start forced irrigation from Shandong's "relatively sufficient water reserves."

This follows a spike in global wheat prices that surpasses the highest levels set in 2008.  The article quotes media interviews by Shanghai JC Intelligence Co. noting that government reports that the wheat can recover is plausible but "is also a big condition to meet."   On the local level farmers expressed their concerns that "this drought is destroying us farmers.”

Shanghai JC added that failure of the wheat crop does not immediate mean that China will need to purchase imports to meet its food needs.  It has supply stockpiles.  Last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, China’s net imports were 502,000 tons.


For more related blogs see: China's Wheat Crop Faces Severe Drought, 9 February 2011.

For original source see:  "Wheat in China Drought Area May Recover, Official Says," Bloomberg News, 17 February 2011.