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)