SNOW COST RUNS INTO MILLIONS(2008-02-22)

2008-2-22  From Shanghai Daily

SHANGHAI'S longest snowy stretch in 18 years caused a direct economic loss of more than 300 million yuan (US$41.96 million), the city's agriculture authority said yesterday.

The early February snow knocked down 227 hectares of plastic covers that were used to protect vegetables while 24,267 hectares of vegetables were damaged, the Commission of Agriculture of Shanghai said.

The lows in Shanghai plunged to minus 5.8 degrees Celsius in suburban areas, where most of the city's farms are located, early this month.

About 250,000 poultry, 2,500 pigs and 100 cows died because of the cold, the commission said.

The city struggled to sustain a full supply of vegetables and keep overall prices stable during the snowy stretch, as its agricultural market is highly dependant on supply from other areas. "To secure the food supply which meets the city's minimum need is crucial," said city official Xu Lin.

The districts of Qingpu and Jiading as wells as Chongming County were the worst hit by the storms, the commission said.

Winter storms were blamed for a 110-million-yuan direct economic loss in Chongming, where snowfall reached 23 centimeters. Qingpu lost 100 million yuan and Jiading 25 million yuan.

The municipal government allocated more than 20 million yuan for emergency agricultural supplies.

The money was also used to stabilize vegetable prices, the commission said.

By February 20, about 1,334 hectares of plastic covers, 60 percent of the total damaged, had been restored, according to the commission.