ISLAMABAD, Aug 30 (NNN-APP) — The migration of desert locusts to summer breeding areas of Pakistan subsided, due to the effective operation of the government against the pest, local media reported.
Quoting a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Dawn News said, the country made good progress against the first generation of hopper groups and bands, in the desert areas of its south Sindh province.
The country formed more than 1,000 teams of about 6,000 staff, which used 750 vehicles, to carry out a ground operation to control the spread of the locusts, by spraying pesticide to remove them, the organisation said.
The country’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, who chaired a meeting of the National Locust Control Centre, said, teams are working in a coordinated manner for the eradication of the desert locust in Pakistan.
Earlier, FAO said, an increase in the number of locusts in Pakistan was feared during Aug, with more hatching and band formation which may lead to a second generation of egg-laying from early Sept onward.
Timely action against the pest helped control its further migration to other areas. Currently, a Beaver aircraft is taking part in an aerial spray of pesticide against the locusts, together with ground teams in the desert area of Sindh, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said.
An earlier report by the World Bank said, “Pakistan is located at a crossroads for migration of desert locusts in South Asia. Therefore, effectively controlling the locust crisis is not only crucial for Pakistan itself, but also is critical for the entire Southwest Asia region.”– NNN-APP
