BEIJING-- The persistent drought along the Yangtze River has plagued 104.4 million mu (6.96 million hectares), or more than 5 percent, of farmland in China as of Sunday, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said.
The drought, started in April, has affected 3.29 million people and 950,000 livestock in the five provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan, where dry spell is most serious, according to the latest government statistics.
China's National Meteorological Center on Sunday kept its "yellow alert" for the persistent drought, which said that there will be still no substantial precipitation in the coming days in the drought-hit regions.
