BEIJING — China said on March 10 that it will dispatch a working group and provide needed support to help East African countries cope with the locust outbreak that threatens local agricultural production.

In mid-March, the Chinese working group will join local authorities and experts in relevant countries to help prevent and control the desert locusts, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said.

China will also offer possible technical assistance and needed supplies, the ministry said.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicted that the desert locust plague, which originated in Africa, may last until June, with swarms growing to 500 times the current level.

So far, the desert locusts have spread from East Africa to India and Pakistan. China on Monday unveiled its contingency plan to monitor and control the spread of locusts from home and abroad.