Disaster Reduction and Grain Production after the Extraordinary Flood in Henan

1. Case background

Extreme weather and events frequently happened in 2021. Unprecedented extraordinary rainfalls took place in China this summer, leading to floods and crop losses/failure, a great blow to the main grain-production area in the north China Plain--Henan province suffering the most. On July 17-24, 2021, Henan witnessed the extreme rainstorm, with the rainfall intensity in Zhengzhou the capital city at 201.9mm/h on the 20^th, the lowest record in this country. The daily rainfall reached 552.5mm, closing in on the total annual amount, breaking the record since the establishment of Zhengzhou observation station in 1951. The flood caused heavy losses to agricultural production in the province. According to the data published from the news brief of“Post-disasterReconstruction in Henan”, by August 3,there were 14.7million mu of crops affected: 9.7million mu of crops were flooded, and 5.7million mu of farmland lost production. Affected agricultural greenhouse facilities reached 120,000mu; 10.6million mu of farmland and 18,527 farms were affected, causing the loss of 11.14million livestock and poultry; 6.39million square meters of enclosures and houses; 330,000 mu stricken in the fishing industry and 94,000 mu flooded. During this extreme weather, the most seriously-hit areas mainly included Xinxiang, Zhoukou, Kaifeng, Anyang, Jiaozuo, Hebi and Zhengzhou among other cities; autumn crops such as corn, peanuts, soybeans, sweet potatoes and vegetables were affected as a result.   

In Xinxiang, Anyang, Zhengzhou and Hebi among other serious-affected cities, the acreage of corn is relatively small hence limited impact on the corn production in the whole province. Soybeans are mainly growing in Zhoukou, Shangqiu, Xuchang and Luohe etc. where the flood hit severely, with Zhoukou leading the acreage of about 2million mu and the annual production of one fourth cross the province. However, in Henan summer soybeans were flowering and podding while the flood came, therefore the impact on soybean growth was little.

In addition, peanuts mainly concentrated in Henan, taking account of around 30% of the total output nationwide, and the first in peanut acreage and production. This summer Henan grew 11.98million mu of peanuts in Nanyang, Zhumadian, Kaifeng, Shangqiu and Xinxiang, 7.8million mu of vegetables and melons. These cities were affected seriously by the heavy rainfall, thus great impact upon the peanut production.

2. Successful practices

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as well as the Henan provincial government responded quickly to the disaster, accelerating rescue and relief efforts, adopting a series of measures to ensure the harvest and production of autumn grain in spite of the flood. The local government strengthened policy guidance in offering organization security and financial support. Taking advantage of the technological support from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Universities and agricultural research institutes at all levels, the post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, and the drying of affected crops and grain replanting all made sound progress. The measures mainly include:

1) Strengthened policy guidance andorganizational support fordisaster management and prompt response. The CPC Henan Provincial Committee and the provincial government promptly launched an emergency response mechanism, and set up a steering group for agricultural disaster relief and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Headed by the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Henan Province, the steering group have made comprehensive arrangement coordinating pandemic control and post-disaster reconstruction. The disaster loss verification work group led by 8 members from the department, conducted verification for facilities and infrastructure in the rural areas and in agriculture, livestock and fisheries covering 10 seriously-hit areas. The Technical Guidance on Crop Replanting after Disaster issued in July 26 required for prompt production and relief measures in localities, trying to make up for the loss by immediate replanting.

TheAgriculture and Rural Affairs Department of Henan Province worked out urgent guidelines on post-disaster production and recovery mainly in water drainage, crop replanting, and production recovery. The provincial financial department responded swiftly in giving out financial support, with a total of 4.725 billion yuan allocated in 11 times from July 22 to August 2.

Higher-level government departments, enterprises and all walks of life all rushed to Henan’s relief and recovery upon the flood. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs organized urgent donation from Jiangsu, Shanxi and Hunan provinces an amount of 4,324 water pumps; the National Development and Reform Commission allocated 3,200t of reserve of chemical fertilizers; Sierte (Inner Mongolia) and Xinlianxin (Henan) among other enterprises donated 8,800t of fertilizers; Hebei Zhongnong Lihua among others also donated 4.5million yuan of pesticides; other enterprise donors of corns, vegetables and forage seeds included Shandong Hualiang, Denghai Seeds, Jiangxi Huanong Seeds, Chongqing Sanqian Seeds and Zhengzhou Huafeng Seeds etc.

China Foundation for Poverty Alleviationimmediately activated the disaster response mechanism to the disaster in Henan. As of August 22, supported by over 143 enterprises and 6 public welfare platforms in its disaster rescue and relief activities,the Foundationraised a total amount of 370million yuan of money and goods from 2.358million man-time. People in 7 cities and 19 counties (districts) suffering from the disaster in Zhengzhou, Xinxiang, Hebi, Luoyang and Xuchang all benefited from the donation and support.

2. Summer grain loss reduction by wet grain drying and safe storage. The flood exerted enormous effects on the storage of summer grain. Some farmers suffered seriously as their grain storage became wet in the flood, if handled wrongly, great losses in grain production would be inevitable. The provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs released the Urgent Notice on Wet Grain Disposal in Affected Areas after the disaster, and all departments were required to dry farmers’ affected grain and cut the loss in summer grain. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Henan Provincial Government acted swiftly to mobilize heat pump dryers, and organized enough personnel in wet grain drying. The drying technology of air source heat pump have lots of merits such as short drying time, quality drying, natural luster, safer coefficient, easy operation etc. To be more specific, the operation time is half of traditional drying; the cost is over 80% less than fuel drying and over 50% less than coal drying.

3. A bumper harvest of autumn grain through replanting, fertigation and pest and disease control can be ensured. By take quick steps to replant crops in the destroyed land of over 5million mu, and growing grain or vegetable according to the land conditions upon the disaster, the loss of farmers was cut to the greatest extent; water and fertilizer management in the flooded land: conducting foliage spraying in county-level farmlands as soon as possible. Proper application of medicines and plant protection to prevent and control pests, ensuring production and reducing loss.

4. Timely pandemic control and disinfection to restore animal husbandry production. Carry out damaged enclosure repairing, and encourage farms to increase the number of livestock and poultry, as well as comprehensive disinfection and pandemic control especially for major animal and plant diseases represented by African swine fever. Active responses to the covid-19 pandemic, strengthened coordination with transportation sectors to issue instant passport for agricultural products, ensuring smooth flow of material and food, as well as feed supply and animal products, preventing shortage of feed and other materials until the recovery of animal products.

5. Agricultural facilities destroyed by the flood were recovered quickly by stages. Solar greenhouses, plastic vinyl tunnels, livestock houses, hi-level farmland hit by the flood were all thoroughly considered for specific re-storage plans. The repair of  vegetable greenhouses destroyed by the disaster made sure the autumn-winter grain production clear of the effects from the flood. The recovery and re-storage for affected hi-level farmland should be conducted in stages and classes, self-recovery for those suffered the least was done by the end of September; restoration plans for those in need of partial restoration completed within one year; reconstruction plans in the next two years for those in need to be completed in tow years; include those remaining land into hi-level farmland construction programs which would be supposed to be done in three years.

6. All-out prevention of poverty and re-poverty. Overall screening and counting of affected farmers in every village and household, and including all households qualified for the monitoring conditions into the monitoring record. Targeted support and assistance for those poor and unstable households in the record was implemented by specific person and measures responsible for each household, making sure that the problems and worries be solved by the end of October. Meanwhile, in order to make the income growth of households out of poverty above the average in the province, it is necessary to invest more in the affected areas, coordinate financial projects, and increase support and assistance, hence preventing re-poverty.  

7. Reinforced agricultural planning for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. As the key in the whole process of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, overall agricultural recovery was carried out cross the province; besides, the National Disaster Reduction Committee activated the level one disaster relief response; the National Development and Reform Commission is working on the compiling of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction programs. The agricultural and rural affairs sectors all favored disaster-hit areas in policies and support, pushing forward key tasks and incorporating post-disaster reconstruction into the strict supervision and performance evaluation for rural revitalization and poverty relief.

8. Enhanced technological support and assistance in agricultural production and disaster reduction. Technical professionals were gathered to strengthen technical instruction and assistance in the disaster-hit areas.The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences sent 44 experts from 9 institutes, together with other agricultural technical personnel in provincial, city and county level, and provided technical guiding plans and on-site trainings in disaster reduction and production recovery covering 22 seriously-hit counties.

Experts from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have formulated a series of technical assistance measures, including:

1) Technology of farmland drainage and removal of waterlogging, affected hi-level farmland recovery technology, simplified cultivation technology of mung beans replanted in destroyed farmland, post-disaster soybean and peanut production technology among other technical programs.

2) The expert group taught farmers skills and practices in the affected fields. The Disaster Relief Work Group at Huaxian County of the Crop Science Institute in Henan conducted field class activities in the farmland, answering the questions for farmers, cooperative communities and local technical personnel in practices; expert group from the Botanic Conservation Institute carried out technical training and education in post-disaster disease and insect control, and instructed the key technique of drone spraying for corn disease and pest control to about 100 agricultural technical personnel and big farming households in Huojia County; the expert group from the Agricultural Irrigation Research Institute passed on experience to farmers in farmland drainage in Huixian County, and timely re-planting of waxy corns in 140mu of farmland destroyed by the flood.

3) A dozen of simplified and practical technical measures of“simplified technology for mung bean replanting for disaster-hit farmland” were specifically compiled and published in order to guide and support re-planting practices.

3. Major achievements

According to Wang Chengqi, vice-director of the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Department of Henan,“to do the utmost to keep the autumn grain area and production capacity by making sure early and timely planting and re-planting.” The provincial finance provided appropriate subsidies for the re-planting in affected farmland.

As of August 22, Henan has seen 2.16million mu of stricken farmland replanted to other crops, 13.32million mu immunized for pest control, 8.32million mu fertilized. The accumulated restored pond from the flood reached 9,514mu, and 13.32million of fish species refilled. 415,000 times of disinfection in key locations of farms, slaughter houses and harmless treatment among others, covering an area of 398,744million square meters; with 217,000 times of animal epidemic disease monitored, 410,000 times of hazards located in farms; and 11.393million of livestock and poultry immunized. The agricultural production resumed soundly and quickly, cutting the loss of grain to the minimum. The disaster has had limited impact on China's food security.

About the author: Zheng Haixia, Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

References:

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: support Henan in its post-disaster production and recovery, and keep autumn grain production amid disaster reduction efforts.

https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1708965979385168423&wfr=spider&for=pc

2. Henan took active measures to prevent and reduce the effects from the floodhttps://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1709117977854681304&wfr=spider&for=pc 

3. Henan provincial agricultural and rural affairs department: continuously push forward the disaster reduction and post-disaster reconstruction

https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1709117977854681304&wfr=spider&for=pc 

4. Shangqiu attaches great importance to agricultural disaster reduction, ensuring a bumper harvest of food and agriculture throughout the year

http://www.henan.gov.cn/2021/09-07/2308320.html

5. The news brief of“Henan quicken the step in post-disaster reconstruction”: direct input of 4.725billion yuan in affected localities, ensuring livelihood by overall measures.

https://t.ynet.cn/baijia/31222891.html

6. Henan speeds up its efforts in post-disaster reconstruction

https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_13895463

7. Grain production guarantee: agricultural scientists teach disaster reduction skills in farmland.https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1709117977854681304&wfr=spider&for=pc