Chinese company donates UAVs to fight locust, COVID-19

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

China’s Shenzhen Sunwin Intelligent Co Ltd has donated five Industrial UAVs (drones) to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on June 24. 

On behalf of the NDMA, Muhammad Irfan, Trade and Investment Counsellor of Consulate General of Pakistan in Guangzhou, attended the donation ceremony in Shenzen. 

Addressing at the ceremony, Pakistan’s Trade and Investment Counsellor appreciated the gesture of the Chinese people, expressing the hope that the friendship between the two countries will be even stronger in future. 

The donation of Sunwin at a critical time when Pakistan was fighting fiercely against both COVID-19 and the locust attack was deemed yet another reflection of iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China. 

Zhou Yong, Chairman of the Board of Sunwin, stated that China and Pakistan were all weather strategic cooperative partners and the bond of friendship between the two nations has always been unbreakable and rock-solid. 

He recalled that right after the breakout of the COVID-19, Pakistan had mobilized the whole nation to support China. 

“You throw a peach to me, and I give you a white jade for friendship. Now, as Pakistan is in trouble, Sunwin, a Chinese sci-tech enterprise, should embrace our responsibility. We would like to bring our good products in agricultural crops protection to Pakistan and share our experiences in the pandemic control and prevention with the local government and people,” he added. 

Sunwin told China Economic Net that the five Industrial UAVs, with a total value of 200,000 RMB (about $28,291), will depart from China’s Guangzhou and be sent to Pakistan soon. They will assist Pakistan’s fight against the pandemic and locust attack. 

Saiying, a type of drone made by Sunwin, has been used to kill locusts in Pakistan’s Dera Ismail Khan and other places since February 2020, according to Zhou. 

Saiying drone has become a special instrument with super power to destroy locusts for its high efficiency of spraying and disinfecting, strong adaptation and remarkable effect. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading in Pakistan, unmanned aerial vehicles could also play an important role in disinfecting, monitoring and temperature measurement. 

After knowing that Pakistan was still in need of drones, Sunwin contacted both of Chinese and Pakistani embassies and made production and donation plans. 

Sunwin was established in 1997 and listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchange in January 2010. It is a leading enterprise in the field of smart city and also a leader in artificial intelligence in China. Sunwin’s main business interests cover four sectors, smart city, big data, artificial intelligence, and culture and education.

Pakistan confronted with dual challenges: NDMA chief

By Masood Sattar Khan 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan was confronted with dual challenges, COVID-19 and Locust plague, Lt. General Muhammad Afzal, Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), shared with the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing. 

“At present, Pakistan is facing the double challenge of the epidemic situation and the locust disaster. China has provided Pakistan with a large amount of anti-epidemic and locust extermination materials to effectively help Pakistan to deal with these challenges,” the NDMA Chairman remarked during his meeting with the Chinese diplomat in Islamabad. 

He thanked China for their strong and continued support for Pakistan’s fight against the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic and the locust plague, according to a statement issued by the Chinese embassy. 

“Whenever Pakistan faces difficulties, China always stands up and proves the hardcore friendship between China and Pakistan with practical actions. Pakistan will further study China's anti-epidemic experience and improve the level of disaster prevention and control in the country,” the NDMA Chairman added. 

Ambassador Yao reiterated that China and Pakistan were good brothers and partners who looked forward to each other and worked together. 

“When China was first hit by the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic, all walks of life in Pakistan expressed their understanding, support and assistance to China. We are deeply grateful for the timely support and we are willing to continue to actively support Pakistan in responding to disasters and help Pakistan gradually resume economic development,” he stated..

Minister confident of eliminating locust with coordinated steps

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Federal Minister for Food Security, Syed Fakhar Imam, has said that coordinated steps were being taken at federal and provincial levels to eradicate the locusts.

Addressing a media briefing in Islamabad on May 20, he remarked that the locust attack was a global threat and government was taking all out steps to eradicate it in coordination with all stakeholders. 

Mentioning that locust can be eliminated at deserts and at croplands differently, he lauded the role of provincial governments as well as district administration and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in stemming the tide of this pest. 

The NDMA Chairman, Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal, informed that the survey of 125,000 hectare areas of Balochistan, 87,000 hectares area of Punjab, 65,000 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 83,000 hectare area of Sindh had been completed during last 24 hours, adding that their organization had five helicopters for which kits have been procured from the US. 

He furthered shared that the NDMA has formed a committee to purchase six planes that will be used for spraying purposes on permanent basis.

Pakistan struggling with COVID-19, locust swarm challenges

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Presently the infected patients of life threatening COVID-19 figure has crossed forty thousand all over the country and the death toll spiking every passing day at the same time, the country is also faced with locust swarm attack that can threaten food security. 

The country's main food-producing pockets have been haunted by a plague of locust swarms which are sweeping green fields with their devastating instinct heavily. 

The locusts has imposed a loss of 15 percent to the winter-sown crops last year amounting to at least 100 billion rupees (around 625.7 million US dollars), with fears that the damage would be huge if the next generation hatched, the Chinese news agency Xinhua said quoting Food Security Ministry. 

It may be recalled that the Chinese government is helping Pakistan both in terms for provision of medicines, equipments as well as experts to cope with the situation. 

In a recent report, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has warned of a huge level locust invasion in Pakistan if it is not controlled efficiently because locust breeding is taking place at 38 percent of the country's total area supported by suitable weather. 

The report added that the locust attacks could cause 817 billion rupees (around 5.1 billion US dollars) loss to Pakistan's agriculture production in 2020, which would turn obnoxious to its fragile economy.

Earlier in January, the Pakistani government imposed a national emergency on locust control. Many small farmers in district Chakwal were spraying their fields helplessly with manual backpack sprayer machine, trying to kill locusts which had damaged over 20 percent of green gram crop in one-night posing a big issue to his income. 

A 21-year-old young farmer told Xinhua that the locust swarm triggered panic among villagers as their crop was fine the previous evening but a lot of leaves had been eaten up a day later. 

They feared that if the situation prevails it would finish all cash crops, animals' fodders and fruits like it did with wheat crop in southern Sindh province.

"Last night, we sprayed and it had little result, then we repeated in the morning and it is a little effective. We are spraying but they keep moving here and there to eat and remain in the same area," the young farmer, requesting the local agriculture department to arrange an extensive spray to control the insect which has been playing havoc with crops across Pakistan since last year, remarked. 

The desert locust plague affected Pakistan's southern Sindh province last year before moving to the rest parts of the country. The Ministry of National Food Security and Plant Protection and other departments all came up with a response to the fly attacks. 

The Assistant Director of Agriculture Pest Warning in Chakwal, Muhammad Riaz, told Xinhua that the swarm scattered in two groups had affected around 400 acres crops in less than 48 hours, posing a big threat to crops in the area. 

"It is a prominent threat and it has spread like a virus because it has already reached to 15 districts in Punjab province. Another dangerous thing is that now the temperature is increasing and their eggs will be hatched and their population will increase manifolds," the official said. 

To cope with the threatening situation, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has planned to spray 500,000 hector of land.

NDMA dispatches medicines to provinces to combat locust

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has announced dispatching medical items, including sprayers to provinces for combating the locusts in their respective areas.

The NDMA sources informed PNFS that a dozen spraying machines each have been sent to Sindh, Punjab and Balocistan while six and eight sprayers had been provided to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and department of plants protection respectively. 

The spokesman further revealed that the affected provinces had been provided 350,000 liters medicine to combat locusts. 

Balochistan has been provided 106,299 litres, Sindh 124,000 litres, Punjab 79,800 litres and DPP was provided 40,000 litres. The anti-insecticides medicines included 300,000 litres of methylene, 96 percent ULV and 50,000 litres Limda two percent. 

There was severe locust attack on various crops in district Jhang of Punjab province, Dosti FM98 radio channel reported. Quoting Deputy Commissioner, Tahir Watto, it was disclosed that spray was being carried out on crops in the affected fields, while agriculture experts had joined hands for supervising and facilitating the spray operation while the department of agriculture was motinoring the movement of locust.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, in a recent report, had warned of a potentially serious food security crisis this year in several regional countries, including Pakistan, due to locust attacks. 

The report titled ‘Desert locust situation in Pakistan’ highlighted migration pattern of desert locust in South West Asia, its current invasion in different countries, potential impact on Pakistan’s agricultural economy as well as the ongoing efforts of Pakistan’s government to contain the pest and the emerging scenario. 

According to the report, Pakistan and Iran in the eastern region were particularly prone as locust breeding was taking place in these areas, also due to the wet winter this year.

4th batch of Chinese aid to fight COVID-19 arrives

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The fourth batch of Chinese government's medical assistance to Pakistan for anti-epidemic campaign arrived Islamabad on March 29.

The Chinese Ambassador, Yao Jing, the Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Lt General Muhammad Afzal, and the representatives of the Pakistan government and the military were present in the handing over ceremony at the Nur Khan Air Force Base.

On behalf of the Pakistan government, General Afzal thanked China for supporting Pakistan to fight the epidemic. 

He stated that since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people have adopted timely, decisive, scientific and effective prevention and control measures to successfully curb the spread of the epidemic. 

Reflecting China's firm political determination and strong organizational response capabilities, Pakistan appreciates China's success in fighting the epidemic, he said, adding that various sectors of the Chinese society have assisted the Pakistani side with many consignments of urgently needed medical supplies. 

He also mentioned that an expert medical team from China that arrived in Pakistan a day earlier, fully demonstrating the excellent tradition of Pakistan-China all-weather strategic partnership especially in time of need.

In this connection, General Afzal recognized that at the time of Pakistan's present crises situation, only China resolutely extended its helping hand to cope with the challenges. 

“The Pakistan government and all walks of life are deeply grateful. This is our true feeling from our hearts. The Pakistani nation is very proud of China-Pakistan friendship,” he concluded. 

Ambassador Yao asserted that China and Pakistan were true friends who shared the same distress and are good brothers who share at the same share happiness. 

At the most difficult time for China to fight the epidemic, the Pakistani government and people gave China valuable support. Pakistan’s President, Dr Arif Alvi, had visited China in person at the time China was facing difficult challenges from Coronavirus.

Now when the epidemic prevention situation in Pakistan is severe, the Chinese government has actively implemented the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and urgently sent aid goods to Pakistan to provide strong support for the anti-epidemic efforts of Pakistan. All sectors of society have also acted to help Pakistan. 

At present, the epidemic is spreading globally. The international community should strengthen its confidence and work together to respond. 

China upholds the concept of a community of shared future for mankind, and is willing to provide assistance within its capacity to other countries, reflecting the role of major powers and contributing to world economic stability. 

China will continue to stand firmly with Pakistan and take more active measures to support the Pakistani response to the epidemic. 

By jointly fighting the epidemic, China-Pakistan's all-weather strategic cooperative partnership will be further deepened, and the foundation of the China-Pakistan community of shared destiny will be more solid.  

Ambassador Yao was also interviewed by the media, present on the occasion, with the focus on China-Pakistan cooperation in fighting the epidemic.