China allocated funds for agricultural production disaster prevention and relief to seven provinces in response to the drought-induced damage to crops caused by prolonged heat and insufficient rainfall, the Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have recently distributed 443 million yuan ($61 million) to regions affected by drought disasters, such as the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan and Shaanxi.

The funds will be primarily used to provide subsidies for agricultural drought-resistant measures such as watering, soil moisture replenishment, crop conversion and additional fertilization to ensure the successful completion of the critical summer sowing stage.