Spring farming threatened by continuing drought

A number of regions in the north and northeast part of the country continue to face drought that could affect spring farming.

Serious drought struck many large cities and prefectures of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the north, including Hulun Buir, Baotou, Ordos and Xilingol, early this month because of reduced rainfall since December, the autonomous regional meteorological bureau said yesterday.

Different localities received a maximum of 20 mm of rainfall over the past four months, up to 70 percent less than the same period of previous years, Li Yunpeng, an official with the meteorological center of ecology and agriculture, said.