Weeks of drought in China have caused water shortages and damaged crops and agricultural land in some of the country's main farming provinces.

The central province of Henan, China's most populous and its major grain producer, and North-western province of Shanxi have been the worst hit, with Henan experiencing its most severe drought and lowest rainfall for 63 years. Almost a quarter of a million people in Henan are thought to be suffering water shortages, and millions of hectares of crops are said to be dying.

In Henan, the government and local communities have reportedly worked together to truck in water from rivers to towns and villages, but the amount they can move has so far proven sufficient only for residents' needs. In cities, residents are also suffering water shortages.

The government has spent 6 billion yuan (almost £600m) on drought relief measures and has begun cloud seeding operations in a bid to induce rainfall.

In all, 12 provinces are in drought, and in many conditions are at their worst for over half a century. Almost 4.8 million hectares of farmland are said to have been affected (two thirds of the province's agricultural area), with over one million hectares of crops having been seriously damaged.

Several provinces in southern China are also in a state of drought, and temperatures remain high, exacerbating the situation, while elsewhere in the south, flooding has caused widespread damage.

The serious situation has led Chinese corn futures to three-year highs this week. Wheat, cotton and soybean prices have also been pushed higher.

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