Chinese ‘duck army’ to help Pakistan in fight against locusts

China is planning to send a 100,000-strong army of ducks to help Pakistan fight a massive locust infestation, a Chinese newspaper reported on Thursday.

It said that China itself had deployed ducks, whose natural diet includes insects, to combat a similar infestation in its northwestern region of Xinjiang two decades ago, with considerable effectiveness.

The legion of waterfowl will be dispatched from the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Ningbo Evening News said.

A team of Chinese experts is already in Pakistan to advise on a response to the locust attack, which is being called the worst in 20 years.

Ducks are much less expensive and environment-friendly solution in comparison to pesticides, Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Agricultural Technology researcher Lu Lizhi said.

Ducks are also more suited to the task than other poultry, such as chickens, he said. Also, ducks like to stay in a group and hence are easier to manage than chickens, he added.

A duck is also capable of eating more than 200 locusts per day, compared to just 70 for a chicken, Mr Lu said. “They have three-times the combat capability,” he added.

Pakistan was invaded by the locust swarm last year, which damaged the country’s cotton crop and now these insects are ravaging the wheat harvest.