ISLAMABAD: The Ministry for National Food Security on Sunday categorically rejected the statement given by the government of Sindh in relation to locust swarms.
The ministry spokesperson said that locust swarms have taken over, attacked and destroyed crops in various parts of the country. He said that the federal government along with the Ministry for National Food Security is cognizant of its duties and obligations and is playing a part to the best of their abilities.
The spokesman also said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has called three meetings on the matter knowing the gravity of the situation, the locust swarms endanger crops in 60 countries across the globe and Pakistan’s province of Sindh is in no way being singled out.
The Prime Minister formulated a National Action Plan (NAP) to deal with the menace with consensus and input from all provincial stakeholders, entailed the spokesperson.
“More than 100,000 litres of ULV insecticides and pesticides have been stored in Sindh to tackle the issue at hand, various districts of the provinces have also been designated their separates ECs.”
“A further order of 87 ULV sprays has been given for purchase with the help of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),” added the spokesperson.
Earlier, the government of Sindh decrying a lack of support from the Centre to tackle locust attacks, decided on Friday last to register a strong protest with the federal government over the issue.
Sindh Minister for Agriculture Ismail Rahoo said swarms of locusts have entered Sindh and Balochistan from the neighbouring countries of India and Iran. “Locusts will prove more dangerous than coronavirus,” he cautioned.
He said the provincial government has been informing the Centre about the locust attacks for a year but in vain. Rahoo noted that 60 per cent of the country’s rural population that relies on agriculture will suffer if locusts are not eliminated.
