Severe drought forces corn farmers in China’s east to delay planting

After weeks of scorching heat and little rain, farmer Zhang Yunjing had no choice but to collect water from a wastewaterpipe to irrigate her parched corn field in China’s eastern Shandongprovince. Zhang would normally use water from a nearby river for the half hectare (1.24 acre) field, but it dried up a month ago. Record high temperatures have swept across northwest and east China, a key grain producing region, during the crucial corn sowing season, threatening to curb production in the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of the grain. “There is no water,” Zhang said. “Look, people are going to other villages to collect water. Seeds are not sprouting without water.” China, also the world’s No. 1 corn importer, produced a record 288.8 million metric tons last year and aims to grow more to achieve food security, but climate shocks are posing big challenges. The agriculture ministry warned this week that the drought is impacting the sowing and growth of new crops. Beijing ...