Anti-locusts drive continues

LAHORE: Sindh and Punjab provinces are currently battling a massive swarm of desert locusts which is threatening the country’s main crops: cotton, mango, banana and vegetables, officials said on Tuesday.

“We have been combating this voracious pest in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces,” said Muhammad Tariq Khan, Technical Director, Department of Plant Protection (DPP). Khan said the operation involved the use of highly toxic pesticides that could adversely affect the health of the field staff.

“We are thankful to have BASF (a chemical making company) helping us in creating awareness and providing personal protective kits to our teams. The support will help create safe farming practices in the country,” the official said.

A team from BASF has conducted safety awareness sessions in the district offices of major affected cities, such as Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaeed Benazeerabad, Khairpur, Sukkur, Saalehpat, Naran Desert, Sadiqabad and Bahawalpur.