Africa-Press – South-Africa. Locust swarms in the Western Cape appear to be on the decrease, but the threat of more destruction still looms.
The size and occurrence of locust swarms are decreasing in the province, with no further sightings of locust swarms reported in Laingsburg in the past week. The number and size of swarms in Murraysburg, the Garden Route District and Beaufort West have diminished.
However, one swarm was sighted in Prince Albert and two swarms in Merweville. Another large swarm, moving in a south-easterly direction, was spotted outside Beaufort West. Locusts have also been sighted in the Kliprand area of the West Coast.
“Notwithstanding these positive trends, we remain concerned that swarms of locusts have migrated to the Eastern Cape, and we are also aware that eggs are lying dormant and will hatch in ideal weather conditions,” said Western Cape Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer.
The agriculture department and the Provincial Disaster Management Centre are tallying the full extent of losses experienced by the agricultural sector. This report will be used to approach the National Disaster Management Centre to request a disaster classification, said Meyer.
The brown locust outbreak started in the Northern Cape earlier this year, with around 33 farming towns recording substantial damage to crops. It has since spread to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
Ever-expanding locust outbreak in Northern Cape affecting 33 farming towns
The apparent decrease in locust swarms comes after a R5 million injection into efforts to combat the locust infestation in the Central Karoo and Garden Route districts.
The funding was allocated towards personal protective equipment, sprayer pumps and aerial spraying support to teams combatting the outbreak of locust swarms in the province.
Meyer said:
Fruit and wine farms in the Calitzdorp, Ladismith and Oudtshoorn areas have been under severe pressure from locust swarms, with fruit and grain crops in the Swellendam and Barrydale areas also affected.
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