ISLAMABAD: While the total value of Pakistan’s major crops of Rabi and Kharif season stands at Rs3,268.7 billion, locust infestation can cause an economic loss of up to Rs2,451 billion or 75 per cent of major crops in a single year.
According to sources, locust can cause a loss ranging anywhere from Rs490 billion to Rs2,451 billion.
As per reports, the federal government has tasked the National Food Security and Research Division to prepare a workable plan on incentivising the public to participate in fighting and disposing of the locusts.
Similarly, the government has also directed National Food Security and Regulation Division to work out the details of funds required for the controlling locust and present the working before the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet for approval.
Additionally, special assistant to the prime minister on poverty alleviation and social protection has also been directed to work out the modalities for the Ehsass Cash-for-Work programme, which will incentivise citizens to catch locusts through nets in lieu of cash payments. The special assistant has been asked to present the findings in the next meeting of the cabinet.
Furthermore, according to sources, the government has also directed the National Food Security and Research Division to devise a robust communication strategy in consultation with Information and Broadcasting Division aimed at projecting efforts being made by the government to effectively deal with the locust situation in the country.
Earlier on June 2, Pakistan Army engineer-in-chief, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chairman and National Food Security and Research Division secretary had given a presentation to the cabinet regarding the locust situation in the country.
The federal cabinet was informed that the last serious desert locust invasion in the eastern region happened around 30 years ago.
In 2018, a major upsurge of desert locust began to develop in the Arabian Peninsula as a result of two cyclones that brought heavy rains to the region along the borders of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen.
In January 2019, new waves of swarms formed in the region and migrated into the interior areas of Saudi Arabia and Iran and then southwards to Yemen.
Breeding and a further increase occurred during the spring season in both areas, causing new swarms to migrate to the Indo-Pakistan border and to the Horn of Africa, respectively, at the beginning of last summer.
It is pertinent to mention here that national emergency was invoked on January 31, 2020, and a National Action Plan-1 was launched in February 2020.
Currently, over 52 districts in the country had been affected by locust. The government has formed 1,113 teams that are currently working on survey and control operations. These teams have completed a survey of over 238,399 square kilometres and carried out control operations on over 4,967 square kilometres.
The government had earlier declared a national emergency on locust in response to desert locust appearing in cultivated areas in the four provinces of the country.
Likewise, a robust coordination mechanism was put in place in the shape of a National Locust Control Center (NLCC) bringing together the National Food Security and Research Division, Department of Plant Protection, NDMA, Provincial Agricultural Departments and the armed forces to coordinate and support large scale locust control operations in the country.
