Sindh gets temporary relief from locust attacks

KARACHI: Sindh growers took a sigh of relief, as attacks by locust swarms have temporarily subsided due to dense fog and cold weather.

“Locust had subsided in the affected areas because of fog and cold wave, Muhammad Ismail Rahoo, Sindh minister for agriculture, told The News on Wednesday. “Besides, two airplanes of the federal Plant Protection Department and teams of Sindh Agriculture Department are involved in air and field sprays,” he said.

“Our teams are spraying in the crop area, while the federal department is spraying in the desert area.” In May, locusts have entered Sindh via Balochistan and within a short span of time, spread to more than 15 districts of the province, including Khairpur, Ghotki, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushehro Feroze, Jamshoro, Tharparkar, Dadu, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas.

The provincial minister said locust had also migrated back to Balochistan from Larkana region. The danger of the harmful pest was not over completely, he said, adding: “It can still grow in April and May, and if it rained during those months, it will be strengthened,” he said.

Nisar Khaskheli, vice president of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture and a grower from Khairpur district, said that locust attacks were at minimum scale since last 10 days, as fog had affected the pest.

Unexpected rain in September and October provided strength to locust

that was resting in the desert area of Sindh. “Around 10 days back, locust had become very aggressive and attacked mangoes, sugarcane and other leafy plants,” he said, adding: “It is still present in the desert area.”

Last month, the provincial government had demanded at least three planes from the Plant Protection Department for spraying anti-pesticides.

In this regard, Rahoo had written a letter to federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Makhdoom Khusro Bukhtiar, demanding federal government’s support to avoid the outbreak.

In May 2019, Sindh government had reported locust attack to the director general, Federal Plant Protection Department to initiate the operation against the pest attack.

It is primary responsibility of the Federal Plant Protection Department to conduct spray operation against locust in desert areas.

The letter said if the spray operation was carried out properly in Nara Desert in June, as was demanded, further outbreak could have been avoided.

Rahoo said that the Sindh Agriculture Department, in collaboration with the district administration, has established emergency centres at taluka level in the affected areas.

“It was also noted that the department also conducted survey and approached the FPPD from time-to-time, but no productive results could have been achieved. Resultantly, the locusts spread across the province.”