Photo: Piotr Naskrecki/Wikimedia Commons
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) have once again urged farmers and other landowners to report locust swarms, especially those seen on unoccupied farms.
On 9 December, Farmer’s Weekly reported that brown locust (Locustana pardalina) swarms were decimating crops in the Northern Cape.
Nicol Jansen, vice-chairperson of Agri SA, told Farmer’s Weekly that there were vast areas of land that were owned by private citizens, government and communities, which were vacant. “In Namaqualand alone, there is about 100 000ha of communal land that is not actively inhabited. This is something that needs to be approached holistically, otherwise we will have a major crisis on hand.”
“The country has been experiencing a locust outbreak since September 2021, [following] rain received from August in the Karoo region of the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape,” said Reggie Ngcobo, spokesperson for the agriculture department, in a statement on 21 December.
In order to help mitigate the situation, the agriculture department has appointed and trained locust control contractors in all areas that have experienced recent locust outbreaks. “All these contractors were provided with insecticide, spraying pumps and protective clothing to enable them to control the outbreak,” Ngcobo said.
“The challenge towards our locust control campaign is unreported locust swamps on unoccupied farms, game and environmental parks. These unreported locust swarms go unnoticed and end up growing and becoming adults and fly to the crop and pasture land and cost extensive damage”.
The department was appealing to all landowners, especially those not staying on their farms, to inspect their land for the presence of locusts and report positive sightings to the agriculture department or agricultural unions.
The department also made an appeal to members of the public to assist in reporting locust swarms to their nearest office of the agriculture department.
“We wish to applaud the commando system used to control locusts, which is a working relationship between agricultural unions and government,” Ngcobo added.
“As we enter the festive season, together with control contractors, we will continue to ensure that controlling of locusts swarms get our undivided attention. The locusts are now in a mixed stage; adults locusts will follow the wind to move from one province to another.”
Members of the public can report any locust swarms to Mulalo Matodzi on 083 326 7773, Vuyokazi Mpumlwana on 084 760 8176 or Dr Ikalafeng Kgakatsi on 072 198 9882.
- Alternatively, famers can also phone the DALRRD’s De Aar offices on 053 631 3122 or 053 631 3261 or phone Dr Gerhard Verdoorn on 082 446 8946.
