Govt earmarks Rs26bln to fight locust outbreak

ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday announced Rs26 billion worth of funds to fight locust outbreak that threatens food security in Pakistan.

Minister for National Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam said desert locust situation in Pakistan has found a new corridor. They are ente­ring Pakistan from Afghanistan to Dera Ismail Khan and Waziristan.

“Federal government will spend Rs14 billion and provincial governments will contribute Rs12 billion to counter the locust,” Imam said, addressing the 5th meeting of the National Locust Control Centre.

The locust plague, believed to prove worse than Covid-19, adversely inflicted farmers across the country and is feared to create food shortages. Pakistan declared a national emergency after the first swarm invaded the country from the UAE in mid-2019. Another wave is expected to soon arrive from Iran.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated $2.5 billion worth of losses to winter crops and $2.8 billion to summer crops.

The threat coincides with the coronavirus crisis that already crippled the economy and growth prospects. Economic growth is expected to contract 0.4 percent this fiscal year from 1.9 percent in the last fiscal year.

Crop losses have been reported in several areas of Khyber Pakht­unk­h­wa, particularly in Dera Ismail Khan district, from where these loc­ust swarms were entering Punjab.

Food minister said locusts attack has been minimised by combined efforts in majority areas. The teams on the ground were sent out at night to spray and destroy locust when it rested, he said.

“Federal and provincial governments, district administration and farmers are coordinating to tackle the locust attacks,” he said. National Locust Control Center along with National Disaster Management Authority and district administrations were making effort to control the locust.

About 8,000 army troops have been deployed for the anti-locust operation. China extended financial help of $4.9 million to Pakistan by giving it 53,000 liters of spray, sprayers and drones, the minister said. Twenty aircrafts will be used for anti-locusts operation.

FAO will hand over 20 micronair sprayers in next week, the minister said. Asian Development Bank and World Bank will finance anti locusts operation in form of $200 and $150 respectively.

A presentation was also given by the food ministry regarding national action plan for anti-locusts. Target has been set for treating crop area in first stage. Punjab will treat 5 million hectare, Sindh will treat 1.5 million hectare, Balochistan will treat 0.5 million hectare. Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will treat 0.5 million hectares.

There will be a surveillance/control team that will be headed by etymologists. The team will also include locust assistant, representative of local community and manpower from Pakistan Army, the meeting was told.