- Locusts swarm into Sindh, Pakistan
- Farmers are concerned for their crops
- Tweeps question authorities about efforts to protect agriculture
Dubai: Some called it a Biblical plague, some called it a scene out of an apocalypse movie, when thousands of locusts flew into Sindh, Pakistan, and farmers were affected the most.
The first reports of insect invasion emerged in early June and they were believed to have come from the West of the country, from Iran. Then, there was no news.
Now, swarms of locusts have plagued several districts in Sindh, starting at Khaipur and farmers say that their crops will be badly affected, according to a report by the Pakistani daily, The Express Tribune.
Pictures and videos of the insects swarming into fields in the region emerged online on June 24 and have been shared by netizens in Pakistan ever since.
In the same The Express Tribune report, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture General Secretary Zahid Hussain Bhurgari was quoted as saying: “Locusts can destroy the agricultural belt of Sindh if they entered Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Hyderabad and other districts on the left bank of Indus River.”
Twitter user @mehreenzahra shared a video from the town of Dadu in Sindh: “Like [the] Biblical plague, locusts descend on #Pakistan’s #Sindh province, the country’s second biggest producer of cotton crop. This is Dadu.”
User @iamjurist shared the same clip on Twitter and wrote: “A massive swarm of locusts has migrated from Iran to Pakistan, raising fears that an attack on the country’s prized cotton crop could be imminent…”
Whereas some tweeps like @mkhankhakwani urged the authorities to take action. He tweeted at Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the current chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which is influential in the Sindh province: “I hope authorities take adequate measures and eradicate all locusts in Pakistan. @BBhuttoZardari”
Similarly, @MajidAliZardari posted about the lack of effective effort by the government: “... locusts descend on #Pakistan’s #Sindh provide, the country’s second biggest producer of cotton crop. Devastation caused in Sindh and Balochistan. SOS calls for help from federal government fall on deaf ears. Federal locust control divisions sleeping. #Sindh #CottonCrops”
What are locusts?
Locusts are certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family of Acrididae. The locusts that swarmed into Sindh are believed to be mainly desert locusts. These are known for their ability to fly great distances.
Cotton production in Pakistan
Cotton production is an integral part of the economy in the country. The textile industry is also closely dependent on the commodity.
Sindh is the second most important province for cotton production, after Punjab.
Why do locusts create fear in farmers?
Locusts are pests and feed on crops. With their largescale infestation, farmers fear that they will destroy delicate crop fields. The rapid moving of the wings of locusts and the fact that they travel in large numbers can also damage plants.
In the past…
Pakistan is not a new target for the pests. Locusts infestations have occurred several times. According to The Express Tribune Locusts caused huge amounts of damage to Pakistan’s agriculture back in the 1950s, 1960s and 1990s.
