Agriculture ministry warns of grain supply disruption

The Ministry of Agriculture issued an emergency notice directing local governments to keep up grain production for next season in the midst of widespread flooding, state media reported. "Stabilizing the autumn grain supply will be a challenging task," the ministry said. Southern China, the country's main grain-producing region, has been heavily flooded in recent weeks, while northeastern China is suffering from a drought. A grain shortage could drive up food prices, which are already high this year, and contribute to rising consumer price index (CPI) inflation.