Red locusts spotted in Otjozondjupa

SWARMS of red locust which invaded the Zambezi region in February, have now been spotted in the Otjozondjupa region, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform confirmed on Wednesday.

This after videos of the locusts swarming open fields in black clouds made the rounds on social media.

In a statement issued by agriculture executive director Percy Misika, the ministry said the locusts were detected on Tuesday afternoon.

“Red locusts have been detected in the Otjozondjupa region, notably in Mururani and Grootfontein areas. Although the summer cropping season has come to an end, the pest poses a serious threat to winter crops such as wheat and barley, as well as livestock grazing areas,” Misika said.

He said the ministry will deploy a team of plant health and extension officials to assess the situation and start spraying the affected areas.

In February, the ministry deployed a team to spray the locust swarms in the Zambezi region. Misika said they managed to contain the locusts threat in that region.

“Unfortunately, since locusts can fly long distances, there has been new swarms coming from neighbouring countries, causing the continued infestation of locusts in the region,” he said.

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