China calls for efforts to secure food supply as La Nina emerges

[BEIJING] China issued a plan to ensure stable food production and supply this winter as the occurrence of La Nina threatens to bring extreme weather events.

This winter and spring will be critical for securing food supplies during key upcoming events including the Lunar New Year holiday and Winter Olympics in February, the agriculture ministry said in a statement. As a weak to moderate La Nina pattern is forecast in the coming months, frigid weather and continuous droughts in some regions are likely to occur, the ministry said.

Large swathes of China have already been inundated with heavy snowfall, adding to the nation's challenges of surging fuel prices and efforts to cope with a power shortage. Weather-related problems and the energy crunch in China and elsewhere have rippled through the food supply chain, forcing some processing plants to shut and driving up prices of vegetables and fertilisers.

China's winter wheat planting has been slower this year due to rainy weather and excessive soil moisture, the National Meteorological Center said this month. Sowing was behind schedule in provinces including Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Shaanxi, and parts of northern Henan saw a one-month delay. The farm ministry on Tuesday said the wheat growth in some northern and eastern regions is weak and can't withstand freezing temperatures well. It also warned that the cold wave could damage vegetable production and block the movement of goods from northern producing regions. Some areas may see fluctuations in vegetable supplies.

BLOOMBERG