Anti-drought efforts roll out

A government official from agricultural department checks a dead wheat seedling in the farmland of Taiping township of Huining County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The county has suffered from serious drought since September 2008 with about 150,667 hektares of farmland and 184,000 people and 326,000 livestocks short of water. [Han Chuanhao/Xinhua]

The government has instructed all departments to use their resources to relieve the impact of the "big dry."

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarter launched a Stage II emergency plan Wednesday.

On the same day, E Jing-ping, Vice Minister of Water Resources, led two work teams to Henan and Shandong to help local governments.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture sent four groups, totaling 16 work teams, to drought-stricken areas to survey the situation. It also sent 20 expert teams to hard-hit areas to offer technical guidance.

Government officials from agricultural department check drought status in the farmland of Taiping township of Huining County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The county has suffered from serious drought since September 2008 with about 150,667 hektares of farmland and 184,000 people and 326,000 livestocks short of water. [Han Chuanhao/Xinhua]

Agriculture is a top government priority. On Feb. 1, the State Council and the Central Committee of the Communist Party issued their first joint document of the year, which reiterated that the development of agriculture and rural areas in 2009 was of special significance.

In the document, the sixth of its kind to address rural problems since 2004, the government urged authorities to take resolute measures to avoid declining grain production.