The Government of Uganda on Sunday confirmed that desert locusts that invaded Kenya early last month finally crossed to Uganda, causing panic among Ugandans.
Government says at least its technical team on the ground headed by the Principal Agriculture Officer, David Kutunga witnessed the grand entry of locusts in Amudat District.
An emergency meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda was convened on Sunday to devise ways of fighting the dangerous pests.
Moses Kizige, the State Minister for Karamoja says Shs3bn has already been used to fight the locusts.
“This is a regional problem because they have invaded Tanzania too through Kenya. The Ministry of Finance has released Shs15 billion to fight the locusts and we have so far used Shs3 billion,” Kizige said this morning in an interview with NBS TV.
He added that the government is not in panic mode about the locusts.
“We are working with Kenya and other stakeholders to make sure we curb this. 2,000 UDPF officials are ready to be deployed to spray the locusts. We have equipped them with all they need,” he said, adding: “We are ready. We have been preparing for them. Right from the head of state, everyone is aware of the invasion.”
He added that there are Ministers in Kenya concluding a meeting to get more planes to help with the spraying.
“We have been monitoring them and want to minimise the damage…We have chemicals flagged off by the UN that will not affect human life. I do not know whether they are edible and even if they were, they are in big numbers I am not sure we can finish them,” he said.
Locusts can cover as much
as 150km a day and a swarm can destroy crops sufficient to feed 2,500 people
for a year, according to the United Nations.
Experts estimate that the insects are capable of destroying at least 200 tonnes
of vegetation per day.
