Locusts have entered KP through the different areas and in many districts of Balochistan as well since the start of the year. As a result, the provincial government has imposed locusts emergency in the southern districts of KP and it is extended to other districts of the province.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has prepared a strategy to combat locust attacks in the province.KPK government has imposed locusts emergency to control the locusts and to save the agriculture sector.
The strategy was analyzed during a high-level meeting presided over by Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Mohibullah Khan.
Secretary Agriculture Muhammad Israr Khan, Director General Agriculture Extension Abid Kamal, and other senior officials attended the meeting.
The minister was given a detailed briefing on the presence of locusts and its control measures.
Survey on 1.7million acres about checking of presence of locusts has been made and was controlled on about 25,000 acres.
The secretary agriculture said locusts were entering the KP from Afghanistan and a comprehensive strategy has been prepared for locusts control.
The survey teams in the concerned districts were taking solid measures to control it.
The minister expressed satisfaction over the measures taken so far and reiterated the government’s commitment to take all possible measures for the welfare and development of farmers.
He asked the farmers to inform the concerned district office of agriculture extension in the respective districts or phone numbers for its timely control of locust.
The desert locust is potentially the most dangerous of the locust pests because of the ability of swarms to fly rapidly across great distances.
It has two to five generations per year. The major desert locust upsurge in 2004–05 caused significant crop losses in West Africa and diminished food security in the region.