23
Feb
China launches $200 million fund to combat fall armyworms, locusts (Reuters)
China has allocated 1.4 billion yuan ($200 million) for the prevention and control of pests including fall armyworms and locusts to protect the country’s massive agriculture sector as food security becomes a major concern.
Fall armyworms, which first arrived in China in January 2019, spread over a million hectares of farmland last year and are expected to hit more crops this year including the key corn-growing region in the northeast.
The government has set aside 490 million yuan to combat fall armyworms in 21 provinces including Yunnan and Guangxi, according to a Ministry of Finance statement.
