China intensifies effort to ensure wheat sowing against heavy rains

BEIJING, Oct 20 (Reuters) - China has launched a 60-day campaign to secure wheat planting in the main North China Plain winter wheat belt, the government

said on Monday, after heavy rains left fields wet and threatened to delay planting and disrupt next year's grain supply.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will adopt targeted measures to strengthen planting in wet conditions, take action to handle late sowing, and improve field management before winter, it said in a statement. It added that seven working groups have been sent to key provinces.

Farmers in the region - which is harvesting corn and planting winter wheat - are also racing to salvage their corn crops as persistent rain hampers harvesting and risks damaging grain quality, with some corn sprouting or becoming mouldy.

In a separate statement on Monday, the National Bureau of Statistics said the region had experienced unfavourably wet weather conditions during the harvest period, affecting the production of autumn grain - about 75% of China's annual grain production.

It added that nationwide, autumn grain production has been generally stable, and another bumper harvest is expected this year.

The National Meteorological Center said that this week, continued cloudy and rainy weather is keeping soils overly wet, delaying harvesting and wheat sowing in parts of the region.

No official crop damage report has been released.