(Clearwisdom.net) According to news that Boxun.net reprinted from Xinhua.net (China's state-run news agency) on July 31, in Haote City, high temperatures and drought over Guole prairie in Xilin, an autonomous region in Inner Mongolia, have caused locusts to suddenly appear over a large area of prairie, which has created a very serious disaster in Xilin.

Recently, when a reporter took a car from Xilin'hot City to Xi Ujimqin Qi (Bayan Ul Hot), the rustling sound of locusts fanning their wings could be heard. The reporter stopped several times to watch the scene and discovered that the locusts were different in their appearances and sizes. The big locusts were approximately 2 to 3 centimeters long [about 1 inch]. They had already developed wings and could fly. The small locusts were less than 1 centimeter long [0.4 inch], and they were jumping around everywhere. In particular, when the reporter approached a prairie in the town of Baiyinguolesumu in Xi Ujimqin Qi, the road was entirely covered with the large and small locusts, and they were jumping everywhere on the ground. The green grass on both sides of the road had been eaten by the locusts and, worse yet, some prairies simply did not have any grass.

Li Fusheng, the chief officer of the prairie league in Xilin'guole Region, told the reporter that 20 million Chinese acres require immediate action to help control and manage the disaster. At present, the total area affected by the locust disaster is approximately 80 million Chinese acres [about 13 million acres], and 40 million Chinese acres have been reported as seriously damaged. There have been 18,446 households and over 4 million domestic animals that have become victims of this disaster. Qi County, which was hit hardest by the locusts, also experienced especially serious snowstorms last winter and spring.

As a result of the snowstorms and the locust disaster, the herdsmen's lives in Qi County have been seriously affected. The cost of their fodder disbursement has surpassed their income for this year. Because the prairies do not have grass, some flocks of sheep have nothing to eat. Currently, public officials and local inhabitants from various nationalities and social classes are attempting to exterminate the locusts with all of their strength and capabilities. The "pit-a-pat" tractors spray agricultural chemicals throughout the prairies day and night, and airplanes often fly overhead dumping chemicals to exterminate the locusts.

Posting date: 8/7/2001
Original article date: 8/6/2001
Category: Latest News from China
Translated on 8/4/2001
Chinese version available at http://minghui.cc/mh/articles/2001/8/1/14099.html

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