Prof Mkenda: Locust swarms under control
THE government has managed to control locust swarms that hit the northern part of the country earlier this year, a senior official has said.
Addressing journalists here on Wednesday, Minister for Agriculture, Prof Adolf Mkenda said the destructive pests stormed the country and the rest of east Africa early this year.
The locusts invaded the country from neighboring Kenya hitting northern districts of Mwanga, Siha and Moshi (Kilimanjaro), Simanjiro (Manyara); Longido, Monduli and Ngorongoro (Arusha); and Lushoto (Tanga).
Prof Mkenda said that the locusts used to move in one area to another and the highly affected districts included Siha (Kilimanjaro), Simanjiro (Manyara); Longido and Monduli (Arusha) destroying 6,441ha of farmland.
Locust outbreak ravages parts of Zimbabwe
Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor
Farmers in Masvingo, Chiredzi and parts of Manicaland are battling a new round of locust outbreaks with swarms of a local type of species damaging their sorghum and maize crops, a senior plant protection expert says.
Shingirai Nyamutukwa, head of the Plant Protection Research Institute told the Herald yesterday that they had detected an outbreak of three indigenous species which do not spread over long distances unlike the African migratory locust.
“We are experiencing an increase in the number of local locust species which have been sighted in Masvingo and Chiredzi and parts of Manicaland,” he said.
PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has expressed satisfaction with the huge efforts invested to battle the warms of desert locusts that had recently attacked some parts of the country’s northern regions.
Zim Acts On Locust Outbreak
January 25, 2021
Zimbabwe is mobilising resources to take adequate preventive measures following sightings of locusts that swept through parts of Namibia, hitting grasslands, trees and 50 000 hectares of crops recently.
Mr Shingirai Nyamutukwa, head of the Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Research Services Institute, said recently that his department was mobilising resources to carry out effective locust forecasting and management of locust outbreaks in three provinces: Masvingo, Midlands and Matabeleland North.
Reports from Namibia say the African migratory locusts have damaged at least 50 000 hectares of cropland in that country’s Zambezi region.
The latest wave of locust invasions has hit nine regions and more than 500 square kilometres had been attacked in areas that include Kavango East and Kavango West, an area bordering the north-western tip of Zimbabwe.
Zim braces for locusts threat
Sifelani Tsiko Agric Editor
Resources have been mobilised to minimise the effects of any invasion of the African migratory locust from Botswana and Namibia where outbreaks have been reported.
Shingirai Nyamutukwa, head of the Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Research Services Institute yesterday said there was an alert following reports of a new round of locust outbreaks.
“Yes, it’s true that Namibia and Botswana are battling another wave of locust outbreaks. The locusts are in all stages from nymphs to adults. We’re keeping check on their control efforts so as to assess risks of invasion into Zimbabwe,” he said.