Botswana’s latest disaster: A locust outbreak

A swarm of locusts can consume enough food for 35 000 people in a single day, robbing farmers of the grass they saved for their livestock.

After the drought in Botswana was broken by heavy rains, the next disaster struck. The locust pest came and ate the grazing that the farmers had carefully saved for their livestock. In February 2020 Botswana's Ministry of Agriculture and Security announced that Southern Africa has been invaded by migratory locusts. Botswana is believed to be the first Southern African country to register the locust outbreak. But later the whole East Africa and Yemen, as well the Gulf States, Iran, Pakistan, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, India and South Africa were invaded by locusts. Unlike most grasshoppers, locusts can form large swarms (80 million locusts) that fly rapidly across great distances. Swarms can travel between 5 km and 130 km, or even more, in a day. They live about ten weeks and aerial spraying is considered the only effective control. Velleminah Pelokgale, Chief Plant Protection Officer, Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Division of Plant Protection, Botswana, informed farmers that there was an outbreak of migratory locusts in Ngamiland in the northern part of the country. She appealed to the public to report sightings of the locusts to the nearest agriculture office. Meanwhile, analysts at Moody International Services have announced that the locust infestation is credit negative for agriculture-dependent countries. According to Moody, rain over the next six months could compound the crisis, given the locusts' sheer numbers and voracious appetite for important crops. The UN Humanitarian office in Geneva estimates that a small swarm of locusts can consume enough food for 35 000 people in a single day. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the situation in East Africa is “extremely serious” and an “unprecedented threat” to the food security and livelihoods of those in the Horn of Africa. The UN says about $80 m is needed to control the outbreak that threatens to worsen a famine situation for millions of people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and elsewhere in the region. “This has become a situation of international dimensions that threatens the food security of the entire sub-region,” FAO Director-General, Qu Dongyu, said in a statement.

Sources: www.businesslive.co.za/bd/ national/2020-02-03-why-eastafricas-devastating-locustoutbreak-is-unlikely-to-hit-sa/

www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020- 02/18/c_138796335

Trading for more than 25 years in Botswana

YOUR ONE STOP AGRI SHOP Veterinary products • Feed • Seed • Pest control • Fertilisers • Irrigation equipment • General farming products

Tel: +267-241-4211 / 3906 E-mail: stuart@agrichembotswana.com Plot 246/7, Khutse Crescent, Light industrial, Francistown

www.bigdutchman.co.za

TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS

With Big Dutchman you’ve hit the bull’s eye!

Always a step ahead with our housing and feeding equipment for modern poultry (broilers, layers) and pig production.

Big Dutchman S. A. (Pty) Ltd PO Box 276 Edenvale Gauteng 1610 RSA, Tel. +27 11 452-1154, sales@bigdutchman.co.za Richard Scorgie, Zambia Offi ce Tel. +26 97 778-4916, richard@bigdutchman.co.za

N i p p l e D r i n k i n g S y s t e m s

S o w M a n a g e m e n t U n i V e n t

F l u x X B r o i l e r V I P E R m o d u l a r c l i m a t e a n d p r o d u c t i o n c o m p u t e r

A i r M a s t e r s t e r

A u t o m a t i c F e e d e r s S u p e r T r i p l e D e c k e d e r s