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By APD writer Muhammad Sohail
ISLAMABAD, Feb. 29 (APD) A group of the Chinese experts, which reached Pakistan last week, is helping the south Asian country to develop a comprehensive long term strategy to fight against the ongoing locust attack, an official told the Asia Pacific Daily on Saturday.
Secretary of Agriculture ministry of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province Abdul Rahim Soomro said that a team of high-level experts sent by the Chinese government on the request of Pakistani side has already visited different areas in the province to observe the on-ground situation of the plague.
“An eight-member team arrived on Monday and held a delegation-level meeting with us, also visited Tharparker desert which is a summer breeding center of the locust, held important field discussions,” said the official, adding that they had basically suggested us some work to do before starting a practical campaign against the locust attack.
Pakistan, which depends on agriculture, has been facing the worst locust outbreaks in nearly three decades since June last year and it has reportedly affected crops at millions of acres of land and threatening to the country’s national food security.
The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization has warned Pakistan about a serious threat in the future.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during the first week of February declared an emergency against the locust attacks but the country could not start a proper campaign to counter the attack due to lack of resources, technology and expertise.
The official added that Chinese experts would provide emergency technical support for locust swarms control and will jointly work out a long-term action plan with the Pakistani side secure future.
Earlier on Thursday, the Chinese team held a media briefing in the southern port city of Karachi and said that China would provide a comprehensive emergency assistance package to Pakistan to counter the desert locust swarm attacks.
The team told media that they are conducting field surveys to understand the situation to develop an emergency response against locust swarms, which would be followed by a sustainable system and mechanism to prevent and control the locust attacks.
The Pakistani official said that China has great experience and expertise against the locusts and Pakistan would like to learn expertise, take technical assistance, pesticides and modern technology, including jets and vehicles with spraying machines.
The Chinese team has also announced that China will cooperate with Pakistan in the fields of technology, pesticide equipment support, personnel training, advance prevention and control technology appliances, the establishment of monitoring and early warning platforms.
The Chinese working team has also visited the country’s southwest Balochistan province and it will start its tour to different affected areas in eastern Punjab province from Sunday.
Following the field surveys and meetings with local officials and experts, the Chinese team would present a final work plane for Pakistan.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
