China To Deploy Army Of 100,000 Ducks To Fight Locusts In Pakistan

China is set to deploy an army of ducks to aid Pakistan to tackle the worst ever locust plague which they have witnessed in decades.

China is planning to dispatch 100,000 specially-bred ducks to stem the attack of the insects which have spread from East Africa to several parts of Pakistan. The legion of newly bred lotus-eating waterfowl will act as the frontline against the assault of the locusts which has laid waste to large areas of agricultural land.

“Ducks like to live in groups and are more convenient to manage than chickens. They have stronger vitality, foraging ability, and resistance to cold, which is suitable for survival in the wild,” Lu Lizhi, a researcher at Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told Ningbo Evening News from Zhejiang, explaining why ducks were better than chicken to tackle the issue of locusts.

“A chicken can eat 70 locusts a day, and a duck can eat more than 200, which has three times the combat capability. Moreover, ducks eat locusts in a carpet-like manner,” Lu added.

According to Ningbo and state broadcaster CGTN, the army of "disciplined ducks" is ready and stationed in northwest China along its border with Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

However, other local media in the country were unsure if such a decision had been taken.

Also, a team of experts from the Chinese ministry of agriculture and rural affairs who are in the worst affected Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab provinces to advise on control and remedial measures, were against the idea of sending thousands of ducks to the country.

According to them, the water-loving bird is not suited to the dry-desert-like environment of the country. Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Agricultural Technology, which was cited in the report of Ningbo news said that they are looking into the matter. They were also hoping to discuss the issue with Lu Lizhi.

"Ducks rely on water, but in Pakistan's desert areas, the temperature is very high," Professor Zhang Long, a member of the China Locust Disaster Control Task Force and a professor at China Agriculture University, told the local media.

The locust infestation in Pakistan has already increased the fear of food insecurities in the country as the damage caused by the insects now spread to wheat harvests. A favorable weather condition and delayed response from the government have been blamed for the issue growing and causing extensive damage.