AfricaPress-Tanzania: 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.
The job has been implemented by the ministry of agriculture with close support from the Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa-DLCO EA and the International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa-IRLCO CSA.
Addressing residents at the Engaruka village in Monduli District, Arusha Region soon after inspecting the exercise, the Prime Minister commended the ministry and experts from the named organisations for their tireless efforts invested during battling of the locusts which have produced positive outcomes.
He acknowledged that experts have done their best to eliminate the insects.
The Prime Minister, however, wanted the ministry to invest more strategies which will enable the country to battle the destructive pests once they come again.
“It is important to have effective measures on hands to battle the swarms of the locusts, as we are all aware that the pests have high-speed capacity to travel up to 200km per day and destroy over two hectares of crops per day,” he said.
“In this exercise, experts from Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya are working hard by using airplanes, helicopters, and other pesticides spraying gadgets to kill the locusts,” he said.
Majaliwa also commended the surrounding communities for their support during the whole exercise of fighting the insects.
He further warned local residents to avoid touching or eating any falling insects since they may contain poisonous substances.
Minister Adolf Mkenda, said that the agricultural experts have succeeded in getting rid of all the swarms of locusts in both Simanjiro and Siha districts so there were no remaining locusts even in other areas.
The minister however said authorities are still closely monitoring the trend of locusts’ infestation and will accordingly take necessary actions if the insects attack other areas.
“We decided to camp here at Engaruka to ensure that we eradicate all swarms of these destructive insects and we thank God that we have destroyed all of them,” he said.
Early January, this year, huge swarms of desert locusts invaded some of the country’s northern regions including Kilimanjaro from Kenya, darkening horizons and causing panic among farmers, who fear destruction of their crops.
Onesmo Biswelu, a district commissioner, said swarms of locusts invaded large-scale plantations at the Ngare-Nairobi ward in the district.
However, the government swiftly deployed special planes to spray pesticides in the affected areas, Biswelu said.
“We have managed to contain them, and destruction to crops is minimal,” he said.
Huge swarms of desert locusts, believed to be triggered by the changing weather patterns have been destroying crops across swathes of eastern and northern Africa.
