Urgent notice from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: Brown planthopper populations have doubled compared to last year—strict measures are needed to prevent a severe outbreak!

To the Departments (Bureaus, Commissions) of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, and Guangdong Provinces (Autonomous Regions, Directly Administered Municipalities):
At present, southern rice-growing regions are in a critical phase of crop development, and also at a key juncture for controlling the two‑generation migratory rice pests. According to monitoring data, in most of the southern rice‑growing areas, both light‑trap counts and field pest populations have exceeded twice the levels recorded last year and the five-year average for the same period. In some areas, despite control measures, pest densities have once again reached threshold levels, with certain fields reporting more than 10,000 insects per 100 rice plants. Experts note that frequent recent typhoon activity is conducive to the dispersal and migration of rice planthoppers, while persistently high temperatures into autumn may lead to an increased number of pest generations and a prolonged period of damage, posing a serious threat to rice production, particularly to late‑season single‑ and double‑cropped rice. To strengthen monitoring and control efforts, prevent large‑scale outbreaks, and ensure the safety of rice production, the following urgent notice is hereby issued.
I. Implement and enforce the regulations, and strengthen local accountability.
All localities must conscientiously implement the provisions of the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Crop Pests and Diseases, adhere to the principles of government leadership and local responsibility, strengthen organizational leadership over pest and disease control efforts, and ensure adequate funding and resources for the prevention and control of major pests and diseases. Agricultural and rural departments at all levels should intensify oversight and management of crop pest and disease control within their respective jurisdictions, assign and enforce control tasks at every administrative level, and adopt a proactive approach—planning early, issuing timely warnings, making preparations in advance, and implementing preventive measures promptly. They should also carry out extensive publicity and mobilization, overcome complacency and war-weariness, and ensure that no effort is relaxed until the autumn grain harvest is secured.
II. Strengthen monitoring and surveys, and issue early warning information.
According to surveys conducted by the National Crop Pest and Disease Monitoring Network, the risk of a rice planthopper outbreak is relatively high. Local authorities are urged to strengthen systematic monitoring at light traps and in fields, and to deploy specialized technical teams to carry out targeted, scheduled pest‑monitoring activities. This will enable a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and development trends within their jurisdictions, the timely issuance of accurate forecasts and early warnings, and the identification of priority control areas and optimal timing for intervention. Information on pest and disease occurrence, along with relevant management techniques, should be disseminated through multiple channels—including television, radio, WeChat official accounts, and text messages—to guide effective control measures.
III. Implement integrated pest management and strictly prevent outbreaks from escalating into disasters.
All localities should intensify support for specialized pest and disease control service organizations, establish a coordinated and efficient prevention-and-control service system, and, based on the actual incidence of pests and diseases, promptly organize unified prevention and control as well as emergency response measures. In single‑crop late‑rice areas such as the Jianghuai Plain and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it is essential to simultaneously address rice sheath blight, false smut, and blast disease of the panicle neck, implementing region‑specific unified prevention and control and collective management to reduce initial infestation levels and prevent large‑scale outbreaks. In double‑crop late‑rice regions like South China and the Jiangnan area, a strategy of “suppressing early and controlling later” should be adopted—both reducing local pest populations and preparing for the potential influx of substantial numbers of migratory pests from other areas.
IV. Strengthen Supervision and Inspection to Ensure Effective Implementation of Measures
Starting in mid-September, our department will dispatch research and guidance teams that will combine routine monitoring and on-site supervision during critical periods to track the occurrence of major rice pests and diseases, such as brown planthoppers, in key provinces, promptly assess progress in control efforts, and conduct field‑based research and technical guidance. Local authorities are also encouraged to establish a zoned, responsibility‑assigned liaison and supervision system, deploying highly qualified personnel to village‑level posts during critical phases of pest and disease management. These teams should go directly to the production frontlines to provide hands‑on, face‑to‑face guidance, ensuring the scientific, safe, and reduced‑dose application of pesticides and effectively improving the rate at which recommended control technologies are implemented.

Source: General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Author: General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs