China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Tuesday urged local authorities to increase their contingency measures to ensure that demand for farm produce is met amid ongoing freezing weather in south China.

The MOA has sent 20 inspection groups to the affected provinces to offer guidance to farmers on the speedy harvest of farm produce, and the heating of vegetable greenhouses.

The ministry also stressed maintaining the smooth transportation of animal feed and abundant reserves of disinfectant, salt and other anti-freezing agents.

The transportation of fresh farm produce should be facilitated, it said in a notice on its website.

China's meteorological authorities said Tuesday freezing weather and icy rain will continue to hit south China over the next three days, adding to the region's transport misery.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) Tuesday kept its yellow alert for freezing temperatures in south China, including for the provinces of Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan and Jiangxi, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.