FAO supports fight against African Migratory and Red Locusts in the Zambezi Region
Numerous teams of Agricultural Extension Officers are on the frontlines battling the outbreaks of African Migratory and Red Locusts (AML & RL) in various parts of the Zambezi region, following reports of the second wave of swarming activities in Zambezi and surrounding regions since June 2020.
The dense AML/RL hopper bands and mobile swarms are mostly in the flood-prone areas of Kabbe North and South as well as Katima Rural, and are threatening pastures during the upcoming main planting season.
The teams deployed to control the locust outbreaks consist of around 410 Extension Officers from different regions of the country, with every team member working diligently to bring the perilous situation under control.
One of these teams recently undertook a spraying mission to Sanzo and Kasaya, cattle outposts located near the Zambezi River in the Kabbe South Constituency.
Kasaya outpost is one of the heavily affected of the two outposts, with swarms of locusts busy morphing up the vegetation in that area easily noticeable from a distance.
Armed with a vehicle mounted pesticide sprayer, the team dived straight into the purpose of the mission, marking the area targeted for spraying as well as alerting the local herders of their planned activity.
Thereafter the spraying began, with the team covering nearly 3 to 5 hectares, and the entire process lasting not more than 10 minutes.
The pesticide used by the spraying team was clearly an effective method to suppress the locusts population as they began to die shortly after a few minutes, thereby limiting further damage to crops and grazing.
Although it is a costly and time consuming exercise, Dorthea Shiimi, an Agricultural Extension Officer based in Kongola in the Zambezi region, believes that the careful and sparing use of the environmentally friendly pesticide is the best option to defeat the locusts.
“The aim is to prevent unwanted casualties and ensure that the environment is kept safe as we wage war to bring these dangerous pests under control,” she said.
The main challenge that government was facing in subduing the outbreak was the lack of manpower on the ground. As such, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has stepped in to assist by capacitating government to deploy more teams on the ground.
FAO has also availed extra quantities of the bio-pesticide Novacrid, and plans to strengthen government’s surveillance and monitoring systems.
Gift Kamupingene, FAO Namibia National Project Coordinator, is optimistic that the fight will be won, especially if all stakeholders join forces to fight the outbreak.
“FAO Namibia will continue to play an active role to complement government efforts to bring the situation under control and aims to strengthen capacities at both national and local levels for better preparedness in future,” he said.
According to the Namibia Meteorological Office, AML and RL hotspot areas are expected to receive above-average rainfall in the 2020/21 season because of the forecasted la Niña event.
With a good rainfall season characterized by above-average rainfall, this could potentially accelerate locust multiplication and increase the threat to crops, grazing and livelihoods. A situation that could worsen the already fragile food and nutrition security situation of particularly vulnerable households in Namibia.