China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) warned on Saturday that the country's late rice production areas should be alert to the cold dew wind that may affect crop harvests in the following days.

China Meteorological Administration (CMA) forecasted a temperature drop to the tune of 4 to 6 degrees centigrade in some central and eastern provinces. The CMA also predicted cold dew wind in northern parts of central Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, said the MOA in an urgent notice on its official website www.agri.gov.cn.

"Local agricultural authorities should formulate emergency plans, strengthen rice paddy management and take effective measures to reduce damages from the low temperature in autumn," said the notice.

The middle and late October is the harvest season for late rice in most of the production areas nationwide.

CMA also said on Saturday that it would be clear or cloudy in most northern areas before October 3 and suitable for traveling during the coming one-week National Day holiday which starts from September 29.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2008)