19 May 2022

 Capacitation of stakeholders in the management and other pests is key for the country to realize food security.
This was said by Principal Agriculture Scientific Officer, from Plant Protection Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Cornelius Mokgoko at a stakeholder training on locust in Gumare on Wednesday.
He said locust cause damage  to crops resulting in loss of food and food insecurity.
“Every nation aspires to feed its people especially during trying times like now where there is shortage of food affecting the whole world,” he said.
Mr Mokgoko observed that Botswana had experienced outbreaks of locust in the Ngamiland and Chobe regions in the past years.
The training, he noted capacitated the stakeholders in identification and management of locusts as well as an elocust application that would help stakeholders to easily report locusts.
Mr Mokgoko said elocust was a regional tool which was crucial in the management of locusts and created an opportunity for the Southern African region member states to be assisted with resources once an outbreak was reported.
Plant Protection Officer from Ministry of Agriculture, Ms Shiela Lechina-Batoli said the three common locusts found in Botswana were the African Migratory locust, the Red locust and the Brown locust.
Ms Lechina-Batoli said that Ngamiland-Gumare and Chobe were hotspots of locust outbreaks due to their nature of environment and as a result they had registered outbreaks in the past two years.
She said the Ministry of Agriculture realised the significance of stakeholders in the fight of locust to attain food security.
 Nominated Councilor of Gumare, Ms Keokeditswe Rangosa in her vote of thanks said the training came at an opportune time when farmers were left empty handed due to locust. ENDS