Pakistan lacks locust-protected areas as major swarms expected

ISLAMABAD: The government has so far curbed locust infestations across a very nominal area of the country’s total covered geography, according to an official estimate on Friday, as major swarms from Horn of Africa are expected soon.

National Locusts Control Centre (NLCC) told a meeting that total 85 square kilometers (approximately 110 million acres) of entire country have been surveyed, while 25 square kilometers (approximately 62.3 million acres) have been controlled.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Food Security Fakhar Imam and Lieutenant General Moazzam Ejaz, coordinator of NLCC.

The country, being a locust migratory route, has breeding grounds for both summer and spring grasshoppers. It came under attack in June last year following the start of climate change-induced international locust crisis in 2018 from the southern Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter bordering Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Pakistan might lose multibillion dollars agricultural crops during the summer season in case locusts destroy 75 percent of the standing crops, an agriculture scientist said.

He estimated if 25 percent of the crops are damaged during the current season, the loss would be $2.9 billion and if 50 percent crops were eaten up by locusts, the losses would be around $5.8 billion.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said Pakistan’s 38 percent of agriculture fields are breeding grounds for the insects. Out of which 60 percent locusts breed in Balochistan alone, followed by Sindh (25pc), and Punjab (15pc). The UN agency said the locusts may have caused financial loss worth $3.72 billion in the agriculture sector that contributes 18.9 percent to. GDP and absorbs 42.3 percent of labour force.

The UN said Pakistan’s control operations are in progress against hopper groups and bands in the Nagarparkar area of Sindh near the Indian border. Groups of adults are maturing in Tharparkar and Cholistan deserts where laying is expected in areas that have already received monsoon rains.

The meeting was informed that this would cause a further increase in locust numbers as hatching and hopper band formation occur in the coming weeks.

In the last 24 hours in Balochistan, 210,625 acres were surveyed and operation was carried out on 193 acres in four districts: Naseerabad, Dera Bugti, Ziarat and Awaran, on the presence of locusts. So far, 703 million acres have been surveyed and 1.2 million acres have been operated across the province.

In the last 24 hours, in Sindh 94,708 acres were surveyed and 3,403 acres were operated on the presence of locusts in Tharparkar and Umerkot districts. Pilots have been trained in Sukkur.

An agreement with a company has been signed for micron sprayers. Etymologists have been inducted. Drones have been handed over by Chinese government to Pakistani embassy in China.