Proactive Policies Helped Control Locusts: Fakhar Imam

ISLAMABAD, Sep 4 (APP): Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam on Friday said the proactive strategy adopted by the government helped in controlling the spread of locusts across the country, though it is minimally present in just two districts of Sindh and Balochistan.

“There is no presence of locusts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. However its presence still exists in one district each of Balochistan and Sindh”, the minister said while briefing the media here.

He said earlier when the National Locust Control Center started its operations with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R), the locust was active in 33 districts; however, it has now been restricted to just two districts.

Lauding the role of the Pakistan army in controlling the locust, he said the army personnel fought the menace like they were in the battle field. He also lauded the role of workers engaged in ground operations against the spread of the locust. He said a comprehensive strategy was developed under which coordination was ensured at federal, district and community level to prevent such types of attacks and losses in future.

The minister said thar as per the assessment of provinces and districts, the timely engagement mitigated the losses to crops. He said the present government would be making a comprehensive mechanism to cope with such challenges in future, adding that the government would develop a department of plant protection. He said around 200 employees are being hired in the department to overcome the human resource gap. The employees would include 100 locust specialists, 50 assistant locust specialists and 50 other supporting staff members.

He said that currently locust sprayers were available with the government, out of which some were donated by other countries. He said the UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded one million pound to Pakistan, the British government had donated 100 sprayers out of which 80 sprayers were received and China has donated 300,000 litre malathion (insecticide) and one Chinese multinational company also donated US $ 100,000.

He said that previously the government had 20 aircrafts and 1 Helicopter donated by the Pakistan Army to conduct anti-locust operations.

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