Namibia needs an estimated amount of 30 million Namibia dollars (1.8 million U.S. dollars) for resources to deal with the locust outbreak in the northeast Zambezi region, Agriculture Minister Calle Schlettwein said Thursday.
The outbreak of the African migratory red locust was reported on Aug. 12, 2020. Since then, daily reports have been coming in, said Schlettwein.
This is the second outbreak in the Zambezi region this year following the first one in February 2020. A total area of 4,002 square km has been invaded and 500 hectares of grazing destroyed by the locust so far, he said.
The minister said Namibia needs funds for more resources in terms of manpower, fleet, equipment, personnel protective equipment, and other resources to effectively combat the outbreak.
“Following the reports on the locust outbreak, a spraying team of 35 staff members that are trained in methods to combat outbreaks from different agricultural development centers across the country has been deployed,” Schlettwein added.
