China to give 38 agricultural drones

Talks under way for supply of aircraft to carry out aerial spray in locust-affected areas

BEIJING:

The Chinese government will provide around 38 more agricultural drones to Pakistan in a few months to fight desert locust.

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs had donated the drones for the prevention of desert locust to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan last month.

According to a report published in the China Economic Net (CEN) on Monday, earlier in June, a leading Chinese company expressed willingness to set up an industrial unit in Pakistan to manufacture drones that could be used to protect crops and control locust.

“From factory construction, production, assembly, after-sales to personnel training, we can provide a full set of technical support to help Pakistan develop the drone manufacturing industry to quickly respond to various types of disasters,” said Du Jixiang, Chief Engineer Beijing Andun Equipment Company Ltd.

The government is negotiating with a mission of the Chinese aviation industry for the supply of aircraft to carry out aerial spray in the locust-affected areas.

An official of Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research said that Pakistan wanted to lease six aircraft from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Aviation to conduct aerial spray in locust-affected areas.

Although Pakistan is yet to deploy these drones to stop desert locust, a wave of joy has been felt among Pakistani farmers.

“It is indeed a piece of great news. China has provided drones to fight locust. It means we will be able to save our crops from locust soon,” Ajmal Bhutta, a noted agriculturist based in Multan said.

Desert locust is an international trans-boundary concern with major economic, social and environmental implications.

As per an estimate of officials of the department of agriculture of Pakistan’s provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, the locust attack has damaged crops cultivated on 80,000 hectares of land besides causing serious damage to grazing fields and forest areas.

In February this year, Pakistan declared a national emergency to eliminate the attacking swarms of desert locust.

“Farmers are very worried as they have seen their crops destroyed in front of their eyes. These farmers should be compensated,” urged Zahid Bhurguri, General Secretary of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture.

“Almost all crops and non-crop plants are vulnerable and the insects are one of the biggest threats to food security,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2020.

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