UNUSUALLY DRY WEATHER AFFECTS CHINA'S AGRICULTURE

  Abnormally warm and dry weather over most
  parts of China is seriously affecting crops, the New China News
  Agency said.
      It said the drought has made rice planting difficult in
  eight provinces, including Guangxi, Sichuan and Hunan. Plant
  diseases and insect pests have increased in wheat-producing
  areas, it said.
      The agency said some areas of Guangxi, Hubei, Shanxi and
  other provinces have been suffering a drought for more than
  seven months.
      The agency said the dry weather had reduced the amount of
  water stored by more than 20 pct compared with last March,
  lowered the water level of many rivers, reduced hydroelectric
  power supplies and caused water shortages for industry and
  consumers.
      The upper reaches of the Yangtze are at their lowest levels
  in a century, causing many ships to run aground and making
  harbour manoeuvres difficult, it said.
      The drought has also increased the number of forest fires.
  More than 1,000 fires in southern China had destroyed 13,340
  hectares of forest by mid-February, it said.
  

