Planthopper insects have invaded 5.28 million mu (352,000
hectares) of paddy fields in southwest China's Yunnan Province
since April, more than four times as much as the same period last
year, local authorities said on Tuesday.
A spokesman with the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture
said 32,500 mu (2,167 hectares) of paddy fields have been ruined by
the pests, which have a predilection for rice plants.
The insects have been reported in 42 counties of the
province.
The province has sent 91 working teams and 52 groups of
plant-protection professionals to the pest-stricken areas, and has
invested 25 million yuan (US$3.3 million) on sprayers, the
spokesman said.
The department vowed on Tuesday to allocate more funds, buy more
sprayers and keep a close eye on the situation with the number of
counties threatened by the pests likely to increase.
Planthoppers had invaded 1.2 million hectares of paddy field in
southern China regions by the end of last month, up 40 percent on
the same period in 2006, the Ministry of Agriculture has said.
The pests flew from overseas to the rice-rich southern areas 10
to 15 days earlier than last year, the ministry said.
By May 30, the pests had attacked fifteen cities and provinces
in south China.
The China National Climate Center had estimated the planthopper
would become more fertile as a result of high temperatures and
excessive rain in June.
(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2007)