Zambia’s cabinet has called for the undertaking of a comprehensive surveillance exercise to establish the extent of the infestation of the African migratory locusts, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Dora Siliya said the Ministry of Agriculture has already conducted preliminary surveys in districts where the locusts have broken out.
She said in a statement released after a cabinet meeting that locust have so far broken out in three of the country’s 10 provinces, adding that cabinet was aware of the disruption that could be caused to the 2020/2021 farming season.
“Cabinet agreed that in order to control the spread of the locusts, the Ministry of Agriculture needs to undertake ground and aerial spraying of the affected areas,” she said.
The cabinet has since called on key stakeholders like the Food and Agriculture Organization to provide the necessary support on the control of the locusts.
