Locusts invade 10 Gumare farmers
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Friday February 21, 2020 16:21
Due to the situation, an alert was issued Tuesday this week by the chief plant protection officer Velleminah Pelokgale warning farmers and the public in general about confirmed cases of AML in Gumare and the bigger Ngamiland district.
Gumare, which is, located in the vicinity of the world famous Okavango Delta has over the past years been amongst the areas ravaged by incessant outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The after-effects of the FMD are still being felt by the region with the inhabitants struggling economically. To make matters worse, the recent outbreak of AML would add fuel to the fire, leaving the farming community devastated, observers forewarned.
Molefe further said that the AML has attacked an overall of 15 hectares,mainly in the Qurube locality, which is an extension area of Gumare.
He however, noted that in terms of density, the AML is less on the ploughing fields with about 0.6 metre square AML per hectare as compared to six metre square AML per hectare outside the ploughing fields. This means that local tourism, which is based on the flora and fauna, might be hardest hit as well if the marauding locusts could devour the pastures.
He added that surveillance is still ongoing for the pest within the district and the fields as per hectorage and the numbers of the farmers affected may change as time goes on. Explaining where the AML comes from, he said that the locust name is self-explanatory as it migrates from one place to another by feeding and building into large swarms.
He pointed out that the AML found in Qurube location is probably a resident swarm that has been there in the past because it is a pest that lays its eggs on the ground as part of its life cycle. Molefe added: “The key issue is that farmers are being advised to control weeds in their ploughing fields as the Ministry has found out that weeds tend to attract the pest even more than those without weeds.”
He advised farmers to report any unusual pests of the hopper family to the nearest department of crop production office for assistance.
According to one of the recent reports by Aljazeera, the infestation of the locust in East Africa and South Asia is the worst in a quarter of a century and threatens the food supplies of millions of people.
The publication described the insect outbreak as the world most dangerous migratory pest.
The same article further said that the locusts can swarm in billions and in January, they did so, densely enough to force an Ethiopian Airlines plane off course and now they are invading Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Pakistan.
Moreover, the article further said it is the worst outbreak in decades. The insects can spread fast, and other countries are now at risk. The swarms have already destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of crops. Millions of people already short of food could face famine.
The publication quoted the United Nations saying if action is not taken fast enough, Somalia’s infestation could become “the most devastating plague in living memory”. It has also asked for $76m in aid to help control the outbreak.