Several provinces in western and northern China are facing food shortages due to a prolonged drought that has left hundreds of reservoirs dry and tens of thousands of wells either dry or nearly empty, FAO said today.

According to a new FAO alert, five million hectares of winter crops are estimated to have been lost or damaged as a result of inadequate rainfall and higher temperatures, and the areas planted in spring crops have been reduced substantially. The worst-affected provinces are Yunnan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei.

The drought in Ningxia started in 2004, and some districts have not received significant rainfall for more than 600 days. In the worst-hit districts, over 60 percent of winter wheat crops were reported as totally lost, with a 40-50 percent reduction in output in the remaining areas. Out of 940 000 hectares of planned spring crops, only around 30 percent were planted.

In Hebei Province, over 2 million hectares of agricultural land have been severely affected by two consecutive drought seasons, and the level of groundwater has fallen by 0.6 metres.

The affected areas are among China’s poorest regions, with 2004 per capita annual incomes of rural households of $227 in Yunnan, $226 in Gansu, and $283 in Ningxia. Over half of rural households live under the poverty line and have limited access to food.