Rainfall in the past few days has easedthe threat of drought in the south China province of Guangdong,
the New China News Agency said.
    It said 75 pct of early rice fields are ready to be planted
and seedlings have already been transplanted on 90 pct of rice
fields in Hainan island. Some 840,000 hectares of farmland have
been planted with cash crops including sugar cane, peanuts and
soybeans, 67,000 ha more than in 1986.
    The provincial government has increased investment in grain
and taken effective measures to combat natural disasters this
year, the agency said, but gave no further details.
 REUTER
