China: I Can See Clearly Now No Rain Has Come
According to the China Daily: The area of farmland affected by severe drought in North China has fallen by more than a third from its peak on Feb 7 to just under 100 million mu (6.6 million hectares) yesterday, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said, as authorities continue to go all out to fight the country's worst drought for decades.
Adding that: "Henan, the hardest-hit province and the country's breadbasket, has sent 20,000 soldiers and armed police, and 910,000 local militia to help with the relief work."
That's odd isn't it, sending in armed police and local militia to help with relief work? Why would they want/need to do that? Is there something they aren't telling us?
I have this mental image of armed police running around with guns "encouraging" farmers who can't afford it to water and fertilise their crops rather than abandon them to drought.
"The ongoing drought conditions means farmers have to work much harder. But this is against their economic interests compared with the option of becoming migrant workers in cities," said Zhou Li, an agriculture professor with Renmin University.
"Effective agricultural infrastructure can't be built by women, seniors and children, who are just about the only people left in the villages as most of the adult labour is away.
"Even those who are temporarily staying in their rural homes because of the financial crisis have for the most part lost their capacity or willingness to do farm work," Zhou said.
Ah, it's all becoming clearer now, my mental image might not be as far from the truth as you may think.
Adding that: "Henan, the hardest-hit province and the country's breadbasket, has sent 20,000 soldiers and armed police, and 910,000 local militia to help with the relief work."
That's odd isn't it, sending in armed police and local militia to help with relief work? Why would they want/need to do that? Is there something they aren't telling us?
I have this mental image of armed police running around with guns "encouraging" farmers who can't afford it to water and fertilise their crops rather than abandon them to drought.
"The ongoing drought conditions means farmers have to work much harder. But this is against their economic interests compared with the option of becoming migrant workers in cities," said Zhou Li, an agriculture professor with Renmin University.
"Effective agricultural infrastructure can't be built by women, seniors and children, who are just about the only people left in the villages as most of the adult labour is away.
"Even those who are temporarily staying in their rural homes because of the financial crisis have for the most part lost their capacity or willingness to do farm work," Zhou said.
Ah, it's all becoming clearer now, my mental image might not be as far from the truth as you may think.