'Locust control operation carried out over 62m acres land across country'

FAO representative appreciates steps being taken by the civil-military officials against desert locust swarm

ISLAMABAD:

The locust control operation has been carried out over 62.26 million acres agriculture land affected by locust swarm across the country, Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam was informed on Friday.

He was chairing a meeting of the National Locust Control Centre (NLCC) which was attended by all relevant officials of Centre and provinces including Lieutenant General Moazzam Ejaz, the coordinator of the body.

It was informed that so far 85,448,671 square kilometres approximately 110.09 million acres have been surveyed, whereas controlled operation was carried out over 10,775 square kilometres approximately 62.26 million acres.

In the last 24 hours 210,625 acres were surveyed in Balochistan and control operation was carried out on 193 acres in 4 districts – Naseerabad, Dera Bugti, Ziarat and Awaran – on the presence of locusts.

So far 703 million acres have been surveyed and operation over 1,159,960 acres of land have been carried out.

In Sindh, 94,708 acres were surveyed and 3,403 acres were operated in the last 24 hours on the presence of locusts in two districts – Tharparkar and Umerkot.

Three pilots have been trained in Sukkur and an agreement with R&D Engineering Company, Karachi has been signed for micron sprayers.

The representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) appreciated the steps being taken by the civil -military officials, saying that Pakistan would defeat the desert locust which poses threat to its food security.

According to recent FAO forecast, summer breeding of locust has commenced along both sides of the India-Pakistan border.

The report forecast that massive swarms of insects were present mainly in Rajasthan, India. Hatching and band formation will increase this month in Rajasthan and northern Gujarat as well as adjacent areas of Tharparkar, Nara and Cholistan deserts in Pakistan.

With additional input from News Desk