By SILUMESI MALUMO
WE have managed to contain the locusts which threatened food security in Western, Southern and Central provinces, Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo has said.
The minister said that the continued spraying in affected areas helped to completely eradicate the dangerous insects.
Mr Katambo said the Ministry of Finance released to K10 million to be used to buy necessities to help to contain the insects.
He said the three provinces which were attacked by the red locusts, brown locusts and the desert locusts, had all been contained.
Mr Katambo said in an exclusive interview yesterday, about 22,873 hectares of land was affected but Government managed to procure 1,200 liters of chemicals to cater for the all area in order for the dangerous species can be contained. “The first report of the outbreak of locusts was in March 2020, and this was in Kazungula district in Southern Province. Then the outbreak spread to some parts of Western and Central Provinces and about 14 districts were affected.
But we worked with the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), the Africa Red Locust International Control and sprayed the affected areas.
The Ministry of Finance helped by releasing some funds in order to procure the chemicals. As I speak now the locusts have been contained in the affected areas and this is very gratifying,” he said.
Mr Katambo said Government also engaged Namibia and Botswana which were the sources of the locusts to ensure that they sprayed all affected areas to completely eradicate the insects. Mr Katambo said through this intervention the situation was contained and now the food security in the areas was out of danger.
