UPDF airlifts 36000 litres of pesticides and spray pumps to Northern Uganda in a fight against Locust invasion
Following the locust of desert invasion in the northern part of Uganda, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has flown pesticides to the region including Karamoja in a bid to try to fight locust circulation.
In an interview with the Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson, Charlotte Kemigisha, they have airlifted choppers carrying pumps, pesticides and other protective gear to help in the fight of the insects.
Kemigisha stated that the two choppers carrying about 36,000 litres of pesticides will land at Moroto Barracks as soon as possible to ensure plans to tackle this problem are started earlier enough before circulation.
“The two choppers carrying pumps, 36,000 litres of pesticides: chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin (18,000 litres of each) as well as other gear to be used in the fight against locusts have already taken off to the region and will later land in the region,” Kemigisha implied in an inte
Tweet
The Ministry of Agriculture as one of the few organizations that have risen to fight the insects is more than determined to ensure the locust problem is tackled because of the resulting negative consequences.
The desert locust is also known as Schistocerca gregaria is locally referred to as emaathe, enzige and is a short-horned grasshopper in the Acrididae family.
These locusts according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), are considered to be one of the most dangerous of flying pests.
Besides its ability to fly long distances allowing it to migrate quickly, a swarm of only one square kilometre can gather nearly 80 million locusts, each one devouring the equivalent of its weight (2 grams) per day.
Being herbivorous, the locust can also stay in one place for 17 hours and if strong enough, can range 3000 miles in their lifetime and an average of 50-300km per day.
Also FAO says these locusts can live for up to five months, depending on weather and local conditions. They can lay eggs that can hatch after two weeks, with locusts maturing to adulthood in two to four months on average.
Relatively, they can destroy about 192 million kilogrammes of vegetation in two days.
Locusts can multiply 10-20 times per generation and an adult female will lay up to 900 eggs in three months.
Meanwhile, government through the Office of the Prime Minister has also issued support to facilitate the spray items including food items and other logistics like tents and sleeping mats, water containers among others.
By John Dalton Kigozi
