China鈥檚 borders brace for desert locusts
Print Edition
Because the number of Asian countries experiencing plagues of desert locusts is on the rise, China鈥檚 northwestern and southwestern border regions have strengthened measures to prevent and control the crop-damaging pests.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicted the desert-locust plague, which originated in Africa, may last until June, with swarms growing to 500 times the current level.
So far, the desert locusts have spread from East Africa to India and Pakistan, while experts believe the pests may enter Tibet from Pakistan and India, travel to southwest China鈥檚 Yunnan Province from Myanmar or invade northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Kazakhstan.
To combat the possible spread of locusts, China鈥檚 National Forestry and Grassland Administration has recently urged local authorities to step up monitoring, issue early warnings and alerts, strengthen staff training and devise and improve emergency response plans.
The provincial forestry and grassland bureau of Yunnan said a monitoring network consisting of 120 monitoring sites will be set up across the province鈥檚 border areas to prevent an invasion from spreading.
The provincial agriculture and rural affairs department also organized relevant departments to create an emergency prevention and control plan for locusts and introduce pest-control techniques.
In Yunnan鈥檚 Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Dehong, which borders Myanmar, local plant protection workers have been mobilized to survey crop fields. So far, more than 166 hectares of cropland have been checked, and no locusts were found.
Between 2015 and 2019, pests damaged more than 2 million hectares of grassland annually, according to the locust and rat control headquarters of Xinjiang.
Xinjiang experts say there鈥檚 a good chance of grassland pest infestation this year as well from different kinds of locusts.
Although there is a low chance of large-scale pest damage in southern Xinjiang, the vast region borders eight countries and the migratory locusts could arrive in the region, experts say.
Meanwhile, Xinjiang has intensified monitoring and preventive efforts, mobilized personnel and prepared facilities, planes and pesticides to cope with the risk.
鈥淭ibet has faced increasing risks of locust plagues in recent years due to the impact of global warming,鈥 said Nyima Zhaxi, dean of Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences.
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