Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The threat of locust from Horn of Africa to South West Asia has been minimized or even eliminated due to moisture conditions in various countries, Minister of National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam said on Friday.
Briefing media persons here, he said that the locust threat form Horn of Africa was very large but now the swarms had turned to other side as the locusts move to the side wherever the find their food (chlorophyll).
“We are fortunate that the swarms that were posing a large threat for Pakistan has turned to other sides, therefore we are safe now,” he added.
He informed that the situation in Iran was totally controlled, however some breeding sights were located in Indian provinces of Rajasthan and Gujrat.
“We fear that there are some chances of migration from Rajasthan to Cholistan area of Pakisan.”
Fakhar Imam said the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had informed that controlled measures were undertaken in Rajasthan where the threat of locust was also subsiding.
The minister added that Rs 26 billion package announced by the government to fight locust attack was aimed at recruiting human resources, purchasing necessary equipments and chemicals to eliminate locust swarms in the country.
He said such attack was witnessed after 27 years and the government was planning to fully prepared for any such locust attack in future.
Meanwhile according to National Locust Control Centre (NLCC), an anti-pest operation was carried out over 20 hectares of District Lasbella of Baluchistan during last 24 hours in order to eliminate it completely from the country.
The joint teams of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, provincial agriculture departments and the Pakistan Army were conducting a comprehensive survey and control operation against the locusts in effected districts and succeeded to minimize its threat to only one district.
The joint teams formed to combat the desert locust attacks had also completed survey of about 194,544 hectares of affected areas, said a press release issued by Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
Meanwhile, no locust have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab. However locust was presented in only one district of Balochistan (Lasbella).
