08 May 2025

The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has deployed a pest control team that will be working from the ground, to fight the African migratory locust and red locust outbreak in Satau and Parakarungu villages.

In an interview yesterday at Nganganga farms in Satau, Chobe regional plant health officer, Mr Nonofang Gaotlolwe stated that the first case was reported on April 8 of which a surveillance team was deployed to assess the situation where a swarm of locusts was spotted in Satau and Parakarungu farms.

He said spraying was conducted immediately to destroy the pest in the farms and pastures in both villages.

A total of 19 farms in these villages have been hard hit by the outbreak, Mr Gaotlolwe said.

Fortunately, he said the hub of agronomy, Pandamatenga, was not affected.

Mr Gaotlolwe said the outbreak had been worsened by the damp conditions brought about by the heavy rainfall experienced this season.

So, the fact that Satau and Parakarungu farms are sitting on swamps and floodplains contributed to the problem, Mr Gaotlolwe said.

The team he said, used two methods of control; chemical spray and fungus control, the former having a short lifespan of survival and not harzadous to the environment since it left no residue.

He said locusts were highly destructive to grass cereal crops like maize and sorghum and ravaged both the stalk and corn.

“Locusts are very destructive in that when they swarm the farm, they ravage the whole crop in just a few days, and leave nothing to salvage,” said Mr Gaotlolwe and explained that spraying would continue for an indefinite period until the pest was eradicated.

He stated that another locust outbreak occurred in these two villages four years ago. ENDS