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Friday March 29, 2024

Locusts cause massive destruction to orchards, crops in South Punjab

By Nadeem Shah
May 20, 2020

MULTAN: Thousands of locusts have started moving towards Cholistan via Multan after causing massive destruction to orchards and crops in south Punjab districts.

Locusts have taken Multan-Tibba Sultanpur-Vehari-Mailsi-Bahawalnagar route to reach Cholistan.

Swarms of locusts have destroyed mango orchards, cotton fields and vegetables in Multan district while the Agriculture Department has issued an alert in Multan to protect the crops from the fresh massive attack of locust swarms.

The locust swarms attacked the lush green villages across Bosan, Sahi Chawan, Jhok Wains, Mati Tal, Banjanwala and Maan Kot.

The locust swarms started landing in the villages from Friday last and continuously advanced to the rest of villages. The farmers in affected villages have started taking preventive measures on self-help basis. In Lodhran district, the locust swarms have destroyed thousands acres of agriculture fields.

The locust reached Multan after destroying vast areas in Muzaffargarh district.

The pest has damaged cotton, fodder and sunflower crops in different areas of Kot Addu and Muzaffargarh. They have destroyed ten kilometers long and three kilometers wide areas in Muzaffargarh district.

The swarms of locusts reached Muzaffargarh from Chowk Sarwar Shaheed on May 13, travelling from Rojhan of Rajanpur district. First, the swarms landed in Mahmood Kot and then travelled on western side. The locusts have moved towards Tehsil Jatoi and Alipur via Turkish Colony, Mauza Sharifpura, Adda Ghulam Ali, Basti Jannat Wala and Khangarh.

Talking to The News, Mian Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali said that the university had developed bacteria for the treatment of locusts. The bacteria blocked the stomach of locust and finally caused his death in three to four days.

However, he said the bacteria was allotted three numbers including S-1, S-2 and S-3 and submitted for registration but due to the lengthy process it could not be registered, he added.

Agriculture Information Officer Naveed Kahloon said: “The swarms of locusts are expected to land in Cholistan before the start of the breeding season and then they will move to India.” He said that the locusts’ favourable conditions for breeding include a moist sandy or sand/clay soil to depths of 10-15cm below the surface and the green vegetation for hopper development. Often favourable conditions existed in the desert, Naveed Kahloon added.

He said that the crop damaged due to the locusts attack would be compensated under the crop insurance scheme. The crop insurance project was initiated in Lodhran, Rahimyar Khan, Sahiwal and Sheikhupura in 2018 and later it was expanded to 18 districts - Multan, Muzaffargarh, Narowal, Layyah, Faisalabad, Rajanpur, Bhakkar, DG Khan, Kasur, Khanewal, Layyah, Mandi Bahauddin, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Okara - owing to its success. The farmers were given relief of Rs 1.3 billion under the crop insurance.

As part of this scheme, the government would pay 100pc premium for the farmers, having a landholding of 5 acres or less, whereas the premium payment would be shared on a 50-50 basis in case of landholding of above 5 acres and up to 25 acres.