Operation minimises locust threat in Lasbela

The National Locust Control Center (NLCC) on Wednesday carried out anti-pest operations over 520 hectares in Lasbela of Balochistan during the last 24 hours.

In order to eliminate the locust threat completely from the country, joint teams of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, provincial agriculture departments and the Pakistan Army were conducting a comprehensive survey and control operation against locusts in effected districts.

It is pertinent to mention that the threat was minimized from 61 districts to only one district.

The joint teams formed to combat the locust attacks had also completed survey of about 195,393 hectares of affected areas, said a press release issued by Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

However, no locust attacks have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab.

Locusts were only present in one district of Balochistan.

During last six months, control operations have been carried out over 1,129,339 hectares of 61 affected districts to protect crops and orchards.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2020.