The northern part of this region including Bortala Prefecture, Shihezi City and Usu County is severely afflicted by aphids and red spiders, said Xu Jian, vice director of Xinjiang General Station of Plants Protection.

But the situation in south Xinjiang, which covers two thirds of the total cotton zone in the region, is under control, he said.

The current situation was made worse by cold air coming from Siberia since late July, further weakening the pest-stricken plant, Xu said.

The cotton industry, the pivotal industry of Xinjiang which is the biggest cotton base in China, accounts for over 60 percent of the income of farmers from cotton production areas.

The total output of cotton in Xinjiang reached 1.5 million tons last year, making it the biggest export Xinjiang.

"Pest disasters occur every year but I have never seen such a long-lasting and severe problem as this before," said Wen Shulan, cotton farmer, of whom 6.7 hectares of cotton fields were destroyed by the pests.

The economic losses in Shihezi caused by the pests are expected to climb to 700 million yuan (US$85 million) this year, said local official Yuan Sheng.

The major cause of the disaster was the use of virulent pesticides in the region, for they also slew the pest's natural enemies when they killed pests, said technician Xu Jian.

The drought this summer also provided favorable climatic conditions for the rampage of the pests like aphids and red spiders, he added.

(People’s Daily 09/14/2001)