CHINA CROP WEATHER SUMMARY -- USDA/NOAA

  Light, scattered showers covered
  winter wheat areas in the North China Plain in the week ended
  March 14, moistening topsoils for wheat, just breaking dormancy
  in most central and northern areas, the Joint Agricultural
  Weather Facility of the U.S. Agriculture and Commerce
  Departments said.
      In its International Weather and Crop summary, the agency
  said southern winter wheat areas are in the early vegetative
  stage. Above-normal February temperatures over the North China
  Plain caused winter grains to break dormancy early in the
  south.
       Moderate to heavy rains in southern Jiangsu, Anhui,
  eastern Hebei, Hunan , Jiangxi, Fujian, and Zheziang, reversed
  February's below normal precipitation pattern.
      The agency said the wet weather in these areas provided
  ample moisture for rice planting and lessened the need for
  irrigation. 
      Mostly dry weather in early-rice areas of Guanxi and
  Guandong resulted in irrigation for continued rice planting, it
  said.
  

