China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) has allocated 1.4 billion yuan (about 200 million U.S. dollars) from the central budget to support pest prevention and control in rural areas.
A total of 800 million yuan will be used for crop pest prevention and control in 26 regions including the provinces of Hubei, Hebei and Anhui, according to an online statement by the MOF.
Altogether 15 provincial-level regions including Sichuan, Shandong and Henan will get 30 million yuan to control locust, while 21 regions including Yunnan and Guangxi will receive 490 million yuan for fall armyworm control.
Hubei province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, will get 80 million yuan for vegetable pest control, according to the MOF.
The move is part of government efforts to ensure stable food supplies as the virus outbreak affected agricultural activities in some areas.
