The International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa has sprayed a total of 3,896 hectares of land in Kazungula district in Southern Province to control the spread of the African Migratory Locusts and Red Locusts.
Southern Province Acting Agricultural Coordinator Paul Nyambe confirmed the development in an interview with the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) at Lusumpuko house in Choma.
Mr Nyambe said the International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa used ground motorized knapsack spraying and helicopter aerial spraying Locust control methods.
He said the ground motorized knapsack spraying comprised ten sprayers which were used to carry out the ground spraying exercise with the total area sprayed at 96 hectares.
Mr Nyambe named the areas sprayed by the ground team as Kamadobe, Kapongo, the area stretching along Sibbulo road, Silenga, Sikaunzwe plain, and Kabuyu plain.
He observed that the helicopter aerial spraying area covered was 3,800 hectares, exclusively in the Simalaha plain.
The Acting Agriculture Coordinator explained that the pesticide used was Fenitrothion 96 per cent Ultra Low Volume and the quantity used was 2,000 liters of the chemical.
He pointed out that the control of locusts in the Simalaha plain had averted the loss of crop production during the 2020/2021 agricultural season for Kazungula district of more than 40,000 hectares of field crops.
He further added that more than 20,000 hectares of maize had been saved from destruction by the devastating pests in 2020/2021 season.
Mr Nyambe noted that the locust control had reduced the loss of pasture for cattle grazing in the Simalaha plain of Kazungula district in Southern Province.
The Acting District Agriculture Coordinator asserted that the outbreak of the African Migratory Locust and Red Locust in Sikaunzwe agriculture camp of Kazungula district was reported on 22nd April 2020.
‘’The Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture released emergency funds during the last week of May 2020 to the International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa to control the spread of the locusts,’’ Mr Nyambe said.