CHINA SAYS POSSIBLE GOOD HARVEST DESPITE DROUGHT
China's summer grain harvest may be good
despite a serious drought because the State Council (cabinet)
has spent one billion yuan on irrigation and other anti-drought
work, a Hong Kong newspaper said.
    Wen Hui Bao said the drought, which has affected Shanxi,
Hebei, Henan and Shandong the most, has eased with March rains
in south China and March snowfall in the north and as some new
irrigation projects have come into use.
    "If the drought does not worsen, there is hope for a bumper
harvest," it quoted experts of the Ministry of Electric Power as
saying. They gave no figures.
    The 1986 summer grain harvest was a record 93 mln tonnes,
up from 92 mln in 1985, out of a total 1986 grain harvest of
391 mln. The 1987 target is 405 mln.
 REUTER
