About 34,000 medical workers are operating in the quake-hit areas, with more being mobilized from across the nation.

Huge swathes of farmland have been destroyed by the earthquake, but that is unlikely to cause any food shortage or acute price rises, a senior official said yesterday.

Sichuan province is an important producer of rice, wheat, corn and other crops, providing 6 percent of China's grain supplies.

Wei Chao'an, vice-minister for agriculture, said the earthquake destroyed more than 33,333 hectares of farmland in the province.

"This disaster has led to serious losses in agricultural production, but the situation is stable in other agricultural bases in the country," Wei said. "We are confident that prices of agricultural goods, generally speaking, will remain stable."

Wei said there are enough supplies for the affected areas and the market as a whole. The authorities have arranged special shipments of fuel, grain and edible oil to prevent shortages.

The National Development and Reform Commission has said it will control food, drinking water and transport prices in Sichuan and Gansu provinces in view of the rising tendency to hoard in these parts.

A tanker sprays disinfectant over Juyuan Middle School, near the epicenter on May 16 where up to 900 students died when the school collapsed. [Photo: AFP]

(China Daily May 18, 2008)