Locusts invasion: Minister Rwamirama assures Ugandans that the situation is under control
Minister Rwamirama on Locusts invasion – Government has confirmed that the desert locusts that invaded Uganda through Karamoja have now spread to 17 districts.
State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Bright Rwamirama addressing journalists at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala yesterday 18th/Feb/2020 said that the situation is under control noting that two aircraft will soon arrive for aerial spraying.
Rwamirama adds that the government is much more prepared to fight the hoppers in case they emerge.
“And the eggs hatch between 10-14 days, so we are now counting six days,” Rwamirama said.
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Continuing, Rwamirama said that as the country waits for the two aircraft purchased, they have already procured 10,000 litres of chemicals to be used in the aerial spraying known as Fenitrothion, a phosphorothioate insecticide inexpensive and widely used for aerial spraying of locusts.
He says the chemicals will arrive in Uganda on Friday 21st, Feb 2020 from Japan.
“Unfortunately we do not have the chemical in the country and the region for aerial spraying. But the good news is that we have procured the chemical and it will be in the country in three days. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has offered us free transport to airlift the
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One aircraft was given to Uganda by the Desert Locust Control Organization of East Africa (DLCO-EA) and the other was hired from neighbouring Kenya.
Rwamirama says the aircraft will be used in managing locusts in case of major invasion and for spraying the nymphs when they emerge.
“Bringing the aircraft is to keep us prepared for any eventualities. Suppose we don’t bring an aircraft and the locusts enter, you will complain that we are not prepared. And also on the ground where the population is low, it is possible to spray nymphs using an aircraft.”
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Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Pius Wakabi Kasaija said the chemical was procured from Japan and processed further in Kenya.
“The manufacture of Fenitrothion 96% ULV, Ultra Low Volume, a chemical used in aerial spray is in Japan. The chemical is brought in solid form, but mixed in Kenya,” Kasaija said.
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Kasaija notes that each litre of the chemical will cost Uganda $75 (about 270,000ushs) transport inclusive from Nairobi to Soroti. And the total costs of the 10,000 litres of the pesticide were ordered at a total cost of Shs2.8bn.
“The company quoted $85 (about 310,000) per litre to Kampala which increased the cost by Shs370 million, which we rejected,” Wakabi said.
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Responding to the question of accountability for the billions of funds spent on the locusts’ invasion, Rwamirama said that their hands as a ministry are clean on any kind of misuse.
He, however, asked politicians to stop politicizing the matter.
“The other day you heard a Member of Parliament telling me why not uses the teargas to spray the locusts, it’s not serious, and people are not serious! And I would ask people to stop politicizing this program. You heard people asking why don’t you pay people to eat them.”
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Rwamirama further cautioned people against eating the locusts saying its health-threatening because it’s difficult to distinguish a sprayed locust and those not yet sprayed.
He adds that a sprayed locust is poisonous.
“We can’t distinguish between locusts that have been sprayed and those that are not,” Rwamirama said.
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“We have a team in the field that’s looking at water bodies, forests and where people are highly populated. Where there are many people, we shall use hand spray and in areas that are more of bushes, we shall use aerial spray,” he added.
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Among the 17 districts infested with locusts includes; Abim, Kaabong, Nakapiripit, Amudat, Katakwi, Nabilatuk, Moroto, Napak, Kotido, Kole, Kitgum, Karenga, Kitgum, Soroti among others.
