KARACHI: Chinese Consul General Li Bijian along with experts of a team working to control locusts on Thursday said that his Government has sent its working group on for assistance and to formulate future strategies to tackle locusts in Pakistan.
He said that Chinese government was requested by Ministry of Agriculture and National Food Security and Research Department of Government of Pakistan on emergency basis to study the situation of locusts attack and propose strategies for the prevention of locusts.
We have come with a national assistance package for Pakistan to tackle the situation of locusts attack,’’ he said while addressing a press briefing in a local hotel.
He said the Chinese experts working group arrived in Karachi on 24th February and coordination with Chinese Consulate, Embassy as well as National Food Security and Research Department of Pakistan.
He said there are three important aspects; the first is to understand the situation in Pakistan and to help Pakistan to formulate the emergency response to control the locusts swarm, the second is to formulate emergency assistance program with the deep coordination and communication with relevant department while the third is to formulate sustainable system and mechanism to prevent and control the locusts as well as the establish long term cooperation with Pakistan.
He said as China has also suffered many disasters of locusts’ attacks and during our long term fight with locusts, the Chinese Government, the Chinese people and scientists have worked coordinately and achieved many important achievements. He said in this filed we have very effective and long term solutions to tackle the situation.
He said to further reconditioning Pakistan to learn about the situation of locusts here beside we will promptly work with agriculture department and also with Pakistani scientists to study the strategies to prevent and control the locusts a well as the export long term sustainable mechanism and system to further control and prevention of the locusts.
The CG said the Pakistani Government should strengthen their surveillance system and formulate timely plans to control locusts and government and experts should work together to formulate the effective plans to control the locusts.
We did cooperation with Pakistan and Chinese scientific so as we can deeply study the rules of locusts for sustainable technologies to control the locusts and Pakistan can establish long term and effective as well s sustainable locusts control strategies and plans,’’ the consul general said.
The experts’ working group assured full support and coordination to Pakistan to formulate long term strategies to prevent the locusts. The group said that it is believed that Chinese locusts control technology and experience can meet the Pakistan’s needs to locusts control and we are willing to cooperate in technical including pesticide and equipment support , training and advanced technology and early information and warning with Pakistan.
China will provide special spraying equipment and vehicles to Pakistan for use in eradication of the grasshoppers that have played havoc with standing crops and orchards across the country since last year, Chinese experts said.
China will also provide drones to monitor the movement of locusts across the country.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing has recently assured that his country will help Pakistan in combating swarms of locusts that have ravaged crops across the country.
The working group said it has discussed with Pakistani colleagues to formulate effective and comprehensive technology to control locusts, China will provide no toxic pesticides as well as the spray vehicles will also be provided to Pakistan which could spray 300 hectares as per hour so China is willing to provide 50 units to Pakistan.