BEIJINGpowerballwinners, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have earmarked 443 million yuan (about 62.26 million U.S. dollars) of disaster relief funds to assist drought control and agricultural production in a broad swath of the country.

The funds will be used to support drought prevention and control work in the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, and Shaanxi, according to a statement released on the Ministry of Finance's website on Tuesday.

Sweltering heat baked parts of China, resulting in soil moisture loss and having an adverse impact on seed sowing and crop growth in summer, according to the statement.

The ministry said the allocated funds will be channeled to support anti-drought measures in disaster-affected regions such as replenishing soil moisture, replanting new crops and applying fertilizer.

These efforts will facilitate crop planting in summer and lay the groundwork for a bumper harvest in autumn, the ministry added.■