Heavy Rainfall Affects Henan’s Grain Growing, Pig Rearing Sectors
Shao Haipeng
DATE:  Jul 23 2021
/ SOURCE:  Yicai
Heavy Rainfall Affects Henan’s Grain Growing, Pig Rearing Sectors Heavy Rainfall Affects Henan’s Grain Growing, Pig Rearing Sectors

(Yicai Global) July 23 -- The agricultural and swine breeding industries in the Chinese central province of Henan, which produced one tenth of the country’s grain last year and has its biggest hog herds, is being impacted by the heaviest rainfall in history.

The corn is spurting now and will be affected if the downpours come during the pollination process, Zhang Zhixian, deputy director at the Yida Research Institute of China Grain, told Yicai Global.

Now is the time for farmers to start spraying against the invasive crop-eating fall armyworm, industry insiders said. Torrential rains will reduce the efficacy of the insecticides, they added.

The impact will not be significant if the corn crop is not submerged or the floodwater is drained away within the next week, said Lin Guofa, research director at the Bric Agriculture Group.

The widespread flooding has killed a lot of livestock and the rotting carcasses quickly lead to disease. Drenched animals also have weakened defenses and are more susceptible to sicknesses such as African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease.

Efforts should be made to clear standing water and sludge as soon as possible, said Qiu Huaji, director of the swine viral disease division at then Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. All livestock pens need to be disinfected both inside and out as the torrential rain has exposed a lot of viruses that were in the soil. Fodder and drinking water must also be kept clean, he added.

The rainstorms are likely to lead to a temporary rise in hog prices as the transportation of pigs has been disrupted by the rains.

Editor: Kim Taylor

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Keywords:   Henan,flood,rainstorm,corn,pig farming