Customers shop at a supermarket in Anshun city, southwest China's Guizhou province, Dec 9, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Amid sweeping cold waves, China has stepped up efforts to ensure stable production and supply of crops, vegetables, fruits and livestock and minimize losses induced by the extreme weather, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Following the issuance of detailed precautionary measures on crops and husbandry, the ministry dispatched working groups to provide on-site guidance to local authorities and farmers on Saturday and launched the highest emergency response of the four-tier system for low-temperature rain, snow and freezing disasters in 18 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Guangdong and Chongqing, on Sunday.

Comprising of experts in wheat, rapeseed, vegetables, fruit, and disaster prevention and mitigation, 25 working groups were dispatched to different regions to conduct on-site investigations, evaluate the development of impact and provide technical instructions.

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A deliveryman rides in snow in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Nov 16, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

In northern China, the ministry proposed to strengthen the classification management of winter wheat and implement graded irrigation for late-planted wheat seedlings to mitigate the impact of the cold weather. Farmers should pay attention to the maintenance and reinforcement of greenhouses and animal shelters and conduct snow clearing in a timely manner.

In southern China, farmers should implement protective measures against freezing and water logging for rapeseed, open-field vegetables and fruit trees. Also, efforts should be made to allocate and transport disaster relief seeds, fertilizers, fodder, vaccines and other production materials as needed.

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According to China Meteorological Administration, the impact of the heavy snowfall is approaching its end, but a strong cold wave accompanying the snow is moving north to south and affecting the central and eastern parts of China. Another strong cold wave is expected to reach China from Monday to Wednesday, leading the temperature in the northern China plain to a historically low level.