CHENGDU -- Plant hopper insects have invaded 347,300 hectares of paddy fields in flood-swamped Sichuan Province in southwest China, local authorities report.

A spokeswoman with the provincial department of agriculture said 4,667 hectares of paddy fields have been ruined by the pests, which have a predilection for rice plants.

The insects have been reported in 85 counties of the province, 19 of which have been subject to large outbreaks.

The province has sent 100,000 plant-protection professionals to the pest-stricken areas and prepared 6,000 tons of pesticides, said Shen Li, a senior agronomist with the agriculture department.

Continuous heavy rainfall since the beginning of this month has created favorable conditions for the invasion and propagation of the plant hoppers, Shen said.

The provincial government has vowed to allocate more funds, buy more sprayers and keep a close eye on the pest situation in a bid to minimize losses.

A large outbreak of plant hoppers caused Sichuan to lose 350,000 tons of rice in 1991.

Excessive rainfall has also triggered floods and landslides in Sichuan, affecting millions of people in the province.