Government prepares to tackle locust crisis amid COVID-19 outbreak

Amid the measures taken to curb the surging infection rates related to COVID-19, the government has started preparing to tackle the issue of desert locust which, if not controlled, will endanger food security in the country.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari recently issued a statement regarding the threat of the locust attack.

On Sunday, National Food Security Minister Syed Fakhr Imam came up with a rejoinder, saying that his ministry was working with the department of plant protection beyond its mandate.

He explained that after the 18th Amendment, the government can deal with the locust issue from an international perspective and maintaining contacts with locust monitoring organisations.

Noteworthy, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in a recent report has warned of a potentially serious food security crisis this year in several regional countries, including Pakistan, due to locust attacks.

The report titled ‘Desert locust situation in Pakistan’ highlights migration pattern of desert locust in South West Asia, its current invasion in different countries, potential impact on Pakistan’s agricultural economy as well as the ongoing efforts of Pakistan’s government to contain the pest and the emerging scenario.

Local surveys of the damage are continuing, but the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture says nearly half of all crops have been destroyed near the port city of Karachi. “I have not seen an infestation like this one in my career,” said Shehbaz Akhtar, an agricultural official charged with locust eradication efforts in the village of Pipli Pahar in central Punjab province.

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