China urges intensified efforts to secure autumn harvest amid heatwaves

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have urged targeted measures to alleviate the impact of drought in a bid to secure a good autumn harvest this year.

Since late July, heatwaves have engulfed southern parts of China, posing severe challenges for the country's autumn harvest, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the China Meteorological Administration.

Relevant authorities should issue alerts for high temperatures in a timely manner and adopt targeted measures to mitigate the adverse effects of the hot weather on autumn grain output, said the notice posted Tuesday on the website of the agricultural ministry.

More efforts should be made to ensure adequate irrigation water, open up new water sources, stagger rotation irrigation, and produce artificial rainfall when necessary.

China will also mobilize specialist teams to help with drought relief efforts, according to the notice.

China's autumn grain production makes up about 75 percent of the annual grain output, and the country aims to achieve a grain output of more than 650 billion kg this year.