A strong El Nino is driving unusually high temperatures and slashing rainfall in India during the country's June-September monsoon season, threatening crop yields and disrupting supply chains.
In the western state of Maharashtra, the third largest by area in India, farmers are worried about their harvest prospects and delaying planting schedules.
"Half of June has passed, and the rains still haven't arrived. We're currently cultivating sugarcane. Look at the plants behind me -- they are withering because there has been no rain. And because of the dry weather, we are also having to delay planting cotton," said Jalindar Wagh, a local farmer.
The impact of delayed planting has spread to the upstream supply chain, including sales of seeds and pesticides. In Maharashtra, products that are normally in peak sales season are now straggling, and some distribution businesses have halted operations altogether.
"There has been no rain across the entire state of Maharashtra. Because of that, our seeds and pesticides are lying in stock, since farmers aren't planning to buy them. If the rains keep getting delayed, the consequences, along with inflation, will start to show," said Rajendra Wagh, a local distributor.
With this year's monsoon rainfall expected to be below normal, India's meteorological department is urging farmers to switch to crops that require less water, fearing that overuse of irrigation systems could broaden the impact.
"Agriculture is rain-dependent. If this year's monsoon -- which we expect that it will be below normal, then it will impact those farmers also. So that's why we are advising farmers to go for such crops which require less water. Agriculture impacts electricity because hydropower electricity, which depends on the flow of rivers, will also dry up, because, due to lesser amount of rainfall, it will also impact the generation of hydro electricity. So, overall impact will be devastating," said meteorologist Mahesh Palawat.
El Nino induces drought in India, weighing on agriculture
El Nino induces drought in India, weighing on agriculture
El Nino induces drought in India, weighing on agriculture
Convenience measures are cutting logistics time and costs for exhibitors, helping debut products from around the world reach the clover-shaped venue of the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) as preparations enter the home stretch.
This year's CIIE is scheduled to take place from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10 in Shanghai. As over 4,000 overseas companies prepare to exhibit, local authorities are working to ensure that all goods arrive safely and quickly to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), while keeping logistics costs affordable for exhibitors.
Muhannad, an exhibitor from Syria, has taken part in all nine editions of the expo, and he has seen first-hand the spillover effects it brings. Using the trade channel the CIIE provides, he has kept working with local factories in Syria to improve his fragrance products step by step, from selecting herbal raw materials to packaging design and labeling, so they can better enter the Chinese market.
"This year we brought herbal tea from Syria, and fragrance sticks. For some essential oils, we changed by some percentage to meet the Chinese market, and immediately noticed growth of more than 20 to 50 percent. [The Syrian factories] hired more people, and their sales increased," said Muhannad.
Another exhibitor from Iran, Mary, has brought more than 300 styles of handmade carpets in different patterns this year. To her, the CIIE means more than just a few days to exhibit her carpets, but a long-term gateway to China's huge market. Her goal on this trip is to link up with reliable local agents and turn the visitor traffic at the expo into year-round sales channels.
"Every year we design new products based on Chinese culture. For example, last year we designed a horse on our pottery. The pattern on this carpet is a peacock, and it is made of silk," said Mary.
Smooth preparation for exhibitors depends on exhibits moving efficiently. Recently, a batch of debut products from South Africa, including wine, accessories and tea, arrived at a container supervision station in Shanghai after 22 days at sea.
With easier customs clearance, the exhibits went through procedures quickly and are on track to appear at the CIIE as scheduled.
"Companies can make appointments remotely to handle customs business, so products are released as soon as they are declared, with no delay in clearance," said Lu Shenli, head of the second section of cargo control and inspection at Wusong Customs in Shanghai.
The next step is transport to the venue. Bonded business districts in downtown Shanghai are offering the "CIIE express service," which sends exhibits straight to the expo and removes the separate transport, customs declaration and transfer steps.
At the Zhangyuan bonded warehouse, exhibits are expected to save 300,000 yuan (about 45,000 U.S. dollars) in costs this year compared with last year. Figures show the service has taken in 1,023 exhibits worth 14.33 million yuan. The number of exhibits is up 130 percent from a year ago, and their value is up 85 percent.
"During this year's CIIE, we are bringing a rich variety of categories, including watches, timepieces and artworks, about 150 exhibits in all. In terms of time, we can save around three to four days in logistics," said Yao Jie, deputy general manager of Shanghai Jing'an Real Estate Group Import and Export Co., Ltd.
Launched in 2018 as the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE was designed to expand China's opening-up and turn its vast market into a shared opportunity for the world.
The event has continued to grow in scale. This year, the overall exhibition area for companies will exceed 370,000 square meters for the first time.
Convenient channels offer smoother paths for products to reach 9th CIIE
