China Scene: North

Pesky birds prove painful for farmers

Fruit farmers in Huludao, Liaoning province, have for years been battling with an increasing number of wild pied magpies filching their harvests.

"A large number of the birds peck at the ripe fruits every year. Once the fruits are pecked, they begin to rot. Last year, I lost more than 1,000 kg of fruits to the pests," farmer Wang Shenglong complained.