Northern China has issued a warning about agricultural and animal disease outbreaks as flood waters recede from rural areas after the worst floods in six decades.
Last week, storms that accompanied Typhoon Doksuri dumped more than a year’s worth of rain on Hebei Province, which shares a border with the capital Beijing, hurting autumn harvests and damaging agricultural equipment.
Tang Renjian, the Agriculture Minister, stated that local governments must boost up efforts to prevent and manage serious disease outbreaks caused by dead animals, pests, and insects.
Farms across Hebei have been severely affected, with numerous pigs and sheep drowning in the floodwaters and crops destroyed.
Tang added that waterlogging must also be reduced and floodwaters from planted fields drained to minimise crop losses and also ensure that winter wheat planting is unaffected.
According to a statement from Tang, “Agricultural and rural departments at all levels should accurately assess the farmers’ disaster situation, assist the impacted farmers in resolving practical issues, and prevent disaster-caused poverty or a return to poverty.”
Clean water has been cut off in certain rural regions and Hebei cities such as Shijiazhuang, where floods ruined water infrastructure and wells, affecting tens of thousands of people.
The Water Resources Ministry has announced an emergency response to immediately restore drinking water supplies, including the establishment of supply points and the dispatch of water trucks.
