‘Locusts can devour 200 tons of food in a day’

FAISALABAD: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad has set up a Research and Development Cell on locusts to address the issue that was responsible for loss of billions of rupees to agriculture sector.

In this connection, UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf chaired a meeting on locusts here on Sunday. The VC said that after 27 years, it had hit crops at the huge level.

He said that to search food, locusts travel in swarms which comprise around 30 to 50 million and could cover a distance of 150 km to devour 200 tons of food in a day. He showed his concern that no scientific research had been conducted on the issue so far. He directed the department to prepare research proposal so that funding could be obtained from the Higher Education Commission Grant Challenge Fund or international donors.

He directed the department concerned to conduct 100 plus students’ internship on the issue in 36 districts of the Punjab that would be supervised by Dr Jalal Arif and Dr Amir Rasool.

He also directed Dr Jalal Arif to conduct a stakeholders meeting on locusts. He declared Dr Jalal Arif as a focal person to give a briefing on locusts to the public and media.

Dr Jalal Arif said that unfortunately, no proper forecast, monitoring, surveillance and work were being conducted on locusts. He said that locusts come from Africa and travel through Middle East, Iran, Qatar, Indian Ocean reach Pakistan. He said that it was mandate of FAO as well as Plant Protection Deportment to look into the matter. He said that now the locusts were going back but it had laid intensive eggs that were the potential threats. He said that in 1960, it attacked Pakistan first time and then Plant Protection Department was having 18 planes for surveillance and mitigation measures but now it was having only three planes.

Entomology Chairman Dr Mansoor Hassan Sahi said that they had conducted a beefing in Jhang, Mankera, Athara Hazari, Layyah, Khushab and other areas. He said that they were committed to come up with viable solutions to the issue.