China issued a warning on Friday ( May 16 ) about the possibility of dry, hot winds that could affect winter wheat production in important producing regions, including Henan, a crucial wheat-growing province known as the country’s granary.
The China Meteorological Administration ( CMA ) predicts that during the time frame, temperatures will exceed 40°C in some areas of Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and other locations, breaking records for this time of year.
The CMA warned that the extreme heating and dry winds may interfere with the grain filling procedure and produce the wheat to older very fast.
About 27 % of China’s overall wheat production was produced in Henan in 2024, with the harvest usually occurring in late May. A decline in production might enable China to improve its imports of wheat to fill any remaining gaps.
As fears grow about the effects of temperature on plants in China’s agricultural hinterland, Reuters recently reported that Chinese buyers just purchased between 400, 000 and 500, 000 metric tons of maize from Australia and Canada.