Pakistan : Locust attacks on crops to be more severe in coming two-three years

The Ministry of Food Security in Pakistan has told a Parliamentary panel that swarms of locust are likely to attack crops in the coming two to three years. The attack will affect the regions of Balochistan, Sindh and south Punjab.

The Secretary for Food Security Hashim Popalzai on Thursday told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee that a tender has been placed for purchase of Malathion spray that is used to kill the locusts. He said one hundred and one thousand litres of spray will be purchased and will be sprayed through Thal and Hub areas. He also said the administration is ready to fight the swarm.

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'Rs 5.3 million to combat the swarm'

The Ministry said the Pakistan Government has allocated Rs 5.3 million to combat the swarm. The Finance Ministry was also briefed by the panel to release the funds to prepare for the issue. The committee chairman Rao Ajmal Khan said locust swarm lays 500 million eggs at any place where it sojourns during its journey. The meeting was held in Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, was attended by MNAs Zain Qureshi, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Shaukat Ali, Ahmed Hussain Deharr, Nausheen Hamid, Shahnaz Saleem, Kamal Uddin and officials of relevant departments.

The committee has set up a three-member subcommittee to check the standards of the locally produced tractors. The committee decided to visit the tractor manufacturing plants in Pakistan. The Ministry also revealed the government is focusing on reducing the import bill for pulses. Local production of pulses will enable citizens to purchase cheap pulses. 

In 2019, Rajasthan was hit with a locust attack. Reports of the attack hitting parts of Rajasthan, Punjab were recorded. Last major locust attack was reported in 1993 and though no exact data is available about the damage caused at that time, the agriculture department officials say that cotton crop was damaged in Punjab and Rajasthan. Locust, a large-sized insect, is a short-horned grasshopper, of migratory habit, attacks crops or green vegetations.

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(With inputs from agencies)