Agri dept mulling plan to combat locust swarms attack

MULTAN: The Punjab Agriculture Department is preparing a national action plan to combat locust swarms attack.

Talking to reporters, Punjab Secretary Agriculture Wasif Khurshid Thursday said soon it would be finalised to implement an effective mechanism to prevent the attack of locust swarm. He said the attack of locusts would be combated with scientific research. He said all the departments concerned and stakeholders are taking solid measures in this regard.

He said the officials have stocked anti-locust sprays in bulk quantity. Federal Plant Protection Department and Cholistan Development Authority were monitoring and taking action on locust spread in Cholistan and practical measures were underway in cultivated areas.

He said the department is providing anti-locust sprays to farmers in orchards and cropped areas while field teams were promoting awareness against locust swarms. He said field teams are spraying anti-locust pesticides in Cholistan area daily. He said a strategy has been finalised to spray on locusts through flying machines.

The PAD has completed sprays on more than 72,000 hectors of lands in Cholistan while the surveillance of more than 300,000 hectors area has been completed in Cholistan, he said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation has imparted locust control techniques and training to the officials of the department of Federal Plant Protection, PAD, Cholistan Development Authority, Wild Life and Livestock departments and Lumberdars in Cholistan, he said. The Punjab government is providing fuel and logistic support to department of Plant Protection besides providing them accommodation and pesticides. He paid great tribute to Federal Plant Protection pilots squadron leader Shoaib Malik and engineer Fawad Butt, who lost their lives while spraying on locusts in Cholistan and their aeroplane crashed.

Monitoring of flour mills starts: The City District Administration Thursday started monitoring of flour mills to ensure the sale of flour at officially approved rates.

According to officials, the district food authorities have compiled a list of 45 flour mills and these mils would be monitored by 21 assistant food controllers and inspectors.