Swarms of locusts attacked standing vegetable crops, including tomatoes, and destroyed them on Friday. Both provincial and federal governments have failed to eliminate the locusts for which warnings were issued much before their arrival.
In this connection, Sirajul Oliya Rashdi of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture said that previously plant protection department was responsible for spraying but now provincial and federal governments are busy in blaming each other without discharging their prime responsibilities.
He said locusts are more dangerous than coronavirus effects of which will be borne by everyone in the near future.
He said standing crops including vegetables and fruits will be destroyed if swarms of locusts are not wiped out forthwith once for all.
He said standing vegetable crops were destroyed in and around Naundero causing huge losses to the tillers who are already suffering due to constant lockdown because of COVID-19 pandemic. He said warnings were issued by the relevant departments that locusts are breeding in Balochistan mountains and will attack soon all parts of the country but nothing was done resulting massive losses to the poor growers and farmers community which will bring very bad results for our shrinking economy.
He demanded of both federal and provincial governments to defend their rights, provide relief to the peasants and also order immediate destruction of the locusts once for all through effective aerial spraying to save future losses.
