Yunnan aids Laos in pests control

Four pests-control work groups with the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture visited Laos in recent years, investigating the locust outbreaks in five north provinces of the country.

During their visits, the work groups held 30 training sessions for Lao farmers and agriculture technicians, with locust control and prevention demonstrated on 300 hectares of outbreak areas. 

They also donated locust-killing sprayers and pesticides to their Lao counterparts. The 2.69-million-yuan donations were handed over in four batches.

Yunnan’s aid to Laos began in 2015, when locust outbreaks were prevalent in Luang Prabang and other provinces of northern Laos, affecting local agricultural production and people's livelihood. 

Through Yunnan-Laos joint efforts in the past years, the locust harm to upland rice and maize was subdued in north Laos. 

The Yunnan move was also endorsed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Lao governments at differed levels.

Chinese source: Farmers' Daily; Photo/ ynagri.gov.cn; trans-editing by Wang Shixue