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No crops, no money, no food as Yunnan waits for rainfall

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Some rural families in southwest China's Yunnan province may face food shortages if the drought persists, as their home rations can only support them for one to two months.

Farmer Shao Xiaopei pulls up withered barley in preparation for planting corn in Luliang county, Yunnan province. The county has been hit hard by the worst drought in 100 years, with 147,000 people and 72,000 livestock battling a water shortage. [Xinhua]

Li Zuquan, a 45-year-old farmer in Dahuangdi village in central Yunnan, is one of many who fear for his family's future food supply. He has only 30 kilograms of rice, packed in a dirty weaving bag.

His family of five people can rely on the rice for one month by mixing rice and corn, Li said.

The rice seeds that he planted this spring have failed to germinate because of the drought, he said.

In the past, he could earn 4,000 yuan ($586) each year by selling peas and horse beans to buy enough rice to feed his family until September.

"But the money for seed and fertilizer has been wasted this year due to the drought and I have no money to buy enough rice," Li said.

The drought also has impacted the family's main income - tobacco and corn, which is planted in May.

Those crops typically bring them about 6,000 yuan every year.

Li's family uses most of that income each year to buy rice the family's staple food after September.

"But this year, I cannot even afford to buy tobacco seedlings and farming chemicals," said Li, choked with sobs.

"If I can't plant tobacco, I might not be able to pay for food the whole year."

His 13-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son need tuition, too.

His 73-year-old father, Li Wenxue, has been paralyzed for 12 years. His wife recently had a bad cold and is resting in bed. Li is the only laborer in the family.

"They are all in great need of money. How can I manage to deal with so many expenses?" he said.

As the village has no source of water source and also lacks irrigation facilities, he spends two hours a day walking to get drinking water.

As water for irrigation mainly comes from rainfall, the shortage of rain has greatly affected planting, according to Wang Qiongzhen, head of the Dahuangdi village, which has 25 households with 97 people.

If the rainfall was enough, farmers could maintain adequate food and clothing, and even may have 900 to 1,000 yuan left, she said.

"If it's not, farmers are likely to go hungry," she said.

If the drought continues, the village's people may have serious food shortages, she said.

Farmers can apply for loans from 1,000 yuan to 2,000 yuan for the purchase of rice.

But the poor farmers, like Li, often find it difficult to repay the loan, Wang said.

Li now also finds it hard to apply for more loans from the bank since he still owes more than 1,000 yuan.

Moreover, the price of rice has risen from 2.7 yuan per kg in February to 4 yuan because of the drought.

The other three neighboring villages are also facing the same problem.

"If the food runs out, we can only borrow rice," said Li Zhenggui, a 40-year-old villager in Bixime village.

"I hope the government can introduce some policies to help us," Li said.

According to a report published by the Yunnan Province Information Office on March 26, the drought has caused food shortages for 8.2 million people and affected 3.1 million hectares of crops.

The output of early spring crops in the province is expected to decrease by 60 percent, the report said.