Farmers brace for cold wave sweeping across China

China's National Meteorological Center issued yellow alerts for snowstorms, blizzards, and cold waves this week, pushing farmers to protect their crops from severe weather conditions.

In east China's Jiangsu Province, pitaya farmers have developed creative solutions to shield their crops from the cold. With temperatures dropping to 3-4 degrees Celsius, greenhouse owners have installed thermal quilts and deployed 32 diesel heaters. They also use smartphones to monitor temperature and humidity, ensuring the pitaya trees remain in their ideal growing range of 5-35 degrees Celsius.

Agricultural experts in east China's Shandong Province are supporting local farmers onsite with practical advice. When temperatures approach zero, they recommend lowering protective coverings and using supplemental lighting during dark, rainy days. This is especially critical in Lanling County, which produces over 5 million tonnes of vegetables annually.

In central China's Hunan Province, farmers are taking a proactive approach. They are planting cold-resistant vegetables like Chinese flowering cabbage and kale, and using ground films to maintain warmth, control moisture, and suppress weed growth.

By Wednesday morning, the China Meteorological Administration had lifted the cold wave and snow warnings, indicating the end of this severe weather period.

(Local farmers cover their winter vegetable sheds with protective films, Jiangsu Province, China, November 27, 2024. /CFP)