Snow, rain in China's top wheat area to ease drought

Published: 24 Feb 2009 18:16:42 PST

BEIJING, Feb 25 - Drought conditions in China's worst-hit regions were likely to ease on Wednesday, with snowfall and rain in the top wheat-growing province of Henan, the Xinhua news agency reported.

It cited local experts as saying that the snow, including heavy snow forecast for southern sections of Henan, was not likely to damage the winter wheat crop in the province, which produces about 30 percent of the country's total wheat output.

Parts of Henan got as much as 20 mm of rainfall last week, which eased the drought in most areas, except in its western section that is not a major wheat area, a local weather bureau said in a report.

Rains had also helped seedlings, but conditions were still worse than during the same period last year, the weather bureau said on its website (www.hnqx.cn).