Another locust attack likely in Sindh

KARACHI: Sindh Agriculture Department on Monday issued a new alert for another threat of locust attack on crops in the province. A spokesman for the department said locust can again attack lower Sindh and coastal belt of Balochistan.

Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations has recommended surveys in Sindh and Balochistan to timely detect presence of any stage of desert locust. There was a threat that locust would enter Sindh with wind blowing from Gujarat and Rajhastan from India.

Sindh’s desert areas would be more vulnerable to the pest attack that included Nara in Khairpur, Khipro (Sanghar), Umerkot, Chhachhro, Mithi, Diplo, Nagarparkar and Badin, the spokesman said.

“In Pakistan extremely conducive habitat is present in Southern Sindh; therefore, the chance of migration towards these areas have higher probability,” according to a tweet of Sindh Agriculture Department.

Sindh’s agriculture experts have also suggested survey of Jamshoro district along with desert districts of the province. However, Sindh Agriculture Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahu said that there was a threat of locust attack in Sindh, but their teams were active, as they had already controlled locust in the province and crops were saved. The federal government should also be warned and take prior measures to save the crops of the poor growers, he added.