After extremely low precipitation in recent months in China's Heilongjiang province, snow has begun to fall in the region, alleviating concerns about the risk of a prolonged drought in the country's northeast. The lack of rainfall had had little effect on the vast farmland in the province, particularly since most of the grain producers in the province will not begin seeding until later in the season. But the unusually persistent drought raised questions about the long-term drought situation in the region, threatening agricultural production in Heilongjiang, which is China's largest grain producer. Heilongjiang plays a unique and increasingly central role in China's agriculture sector. While China's traditional grain-producing regions rely primarily on small, family-owned farm plots, Heilongjiang represents an experiment in centralized, modern industrial agriculture. Building an integrated national grain market with Heilongjiang at the center provides China with a buffer grain supply to help stabilize food prices.