Insects are devouring the grassland in the southern part of Gansu
Province in northwestern China this summer season, posing the
severest threat in 20 years in the area, according to local bureau
for raising livestock.
More than 1.12 million mu (74,600 hectares) of grassland in five
counties and cities in the area has been attacked by insects,
including 225,000 mu (15,000 hectares) gnawed by locusts, 800,000
mu (53,333 hectares) by caterpillars and the other 100,000 mu
(6,666 hectares) by grubs, said Wang Wei, an official with the
local livestock raising and grassland protection department.
Insects munched away almost all of the grass in three towns
along with Yellow River in Maqu County, dubbed "the best natural
meadow in Asia."
"The plague is the most harmful over the past 20 years," said
Wang. "The population density in some place even reaches 220
insects per square meter."
Because the area does not have the funds to control the insect
problem, each year the area infected by insects grows. Insects have
not only eaten the leaves of the grass, but are threatening the
plants' roots.
In 2000, the insects devoured 700,000 mu (46,666 hectares), and
so far in 2004 they have eaten 1.12 million mu (74,600 hectares).
This is an increase of 10 to 30 percent during the past four
years.
The official warned that the pests will endanger the whole
grassland in south Gansu area in a dozen years if the expansion
trend can not be curbed.
The insects have also been found in Sichuan and Qinghai, two
provinces adjacent to Gansu in west China, said Dong Zhengguo,
director of livestock bureau in the prefecture.
"If no effective measures were taken to bring insect pest under
control, the security of grassland ecosystem and herdsmen' lives
will be threatened," Dong said.
Fifty-one percent of the prefecture's GDP and more than 60 percent
of local farmers and herdsmen' income come from raising livestock.
In the five counties and cities mentioned above more than 80
percent of herdsmen' income is from livestock.
Experts predict that 20,000 domestic animals will face
difficulty?in surviving the winter season because of the
insect pest attack, according to Wang Wei.
"Insect pest does great harm to local stockbreeding and
grassland ecosystem, even leads to desertification for lower
regeneration ability of the grassland," Wang said.
The local government has organized a campaign to fight the
insects, increasing financial support to farmers for purchase and
use of effective pesticides. However, a shortage in such funds has
hindered the campaign as the region is still economically
underdeveloped, according to Wang.?
(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2004)
