China drought, flood, locusts hit hard: 17% of arable land affected, ethanol expansion put on hold

In China, natural disasters have affected 17% of the country’s arable land, forcing Chinese officials to suspend ethanol expansion as the country faces the prospect of importing food to meet rising demand.

This year, drought conditions have hit 27 million acres of crop-producing land, flood waters in South China affected another 21 million acres, and a locust in Sichuan province hit another 1 million acres. The China Daily speculates that China will have to import food this year. The shortage of land, and the potential for a shortage in corn, has prompted a moratorium on ethanol plant construction and a statement from the National Energy Leading Group that China will not pursue ethanol production from food crops.

Prior to the natural disasters, China’s corn production was expected to exceed projected demand by only 1%.

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