Yin Menggeng isn't as worried as he was a week ago about his wheat harvest. His fields, which were withering amid a three-month drought, are turning green again after being irrigated with water from a nearby well.

A villager pumps water to irrigate his wheat farmland at Hancun Township in Huaibei City, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 17, 2009. Local residents continue to water their wheat seedlings to ensure the growth after the most severe drought hit northern and eastern China in half a century. [Chen Banggan/Xinhua]

"This year, despite the drought, the output can still match last year's if the crops grow well with more irrigation," said Yin, a 56-year-old farmer in Yinjiatang Village, Changge City of Henan Province. The province is a major wheat producer in central China, accounting for about 25 percent of the nation's annual crop production.

The wheat output of his land was about 500 kg per mu. The mu is a Chinese unit of area, with one hectare equal to 15 mu. Yin has 6 mu of wheatland.

From late October through early February, a severe drought hit major wheat-growing areas in China including Henan, threatening the harvest as large swathes of crops withered.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said 1 to 6 mm of rain and snow has fallen over much of northern China this week, helping ease the prolonged drought. But crops and fields have been parched for a long time, so irrigation is still needed.

According to Henan drought relief authorities, the province actually had no rain for more than 100 consecutive days after Oct. 24. The drought was exacerbated by winter temperatures in Henan, which were 0.9 degree Celsius warmer than in normal years. The drought has been Henan's worst since the founding of New China in 1949.

"After several years of good growing weather, many farmers here fell into the habit of relying on natural rainfall," said Yang Biantong, deputy director of the Henan Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office.

Many farmers, like Yin, didn't irrigate their fields, as they believed rain would finally come. Money was also a factor: river fees and energy charges mean irrigation costs about 10 yuan to 15 yuan per mu each time a farmer requests the service.

Two weeks ago, Premier Wen Jiabao visited Henan and inspected drought relief efforts near Yinjiatang Village. Wen told farmers to be confident in the drought relief campaign and strive for a good harvest in unaffected areas, a steady harvest in slightly affected areas and a small reduction of output in severely hit areas.

"We were encouraged very much by the premier's words and felt quite relieved as the country has mobilized resources to combat the drought," said another villager, Qiu Youcheng.