China's 'Granary' at Risk: More Rain Threatens Wheat Crop

China's largest wheat-growing province of Henan is expected to be hit by more rain in coming days, complicating efforts to harvest grain already damaged by wetter than normal weather in late May. The rains have caused some grain to sprout or be hit by blight. Around 30 million tonnes of wheat will be impacted by the rain, with between 10 million and 20 million tonnes likely to have sprouted, meaning it is unfit for human consumption. The agriculture ministry this week urged local authorities to dispatch emergency teams to drain water from fields, speed up access by harvesters and mobilise drying machinery to save as much of the crop as possible.