Migratory mode of locusts delaying gov’t action- Minister Sempijja
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The migratory mode of desert locusts is posing a challenge on government action to wipe out the insects that invaded the country on Sunday.
Government has unsuccessfully tried to spray the locusts infested areas using Local Defense Unit-LDU personnel for the last four days in vain.
By the time the LDUs arrive at the infested area, locusts would have moved to another direction.
Vincent Sempijja Bamulangaki, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries says it hasn’t been easy for the team on the ground to spray the locusts.
Addressing different leaders drawn from Acholi, Lango, Karamoja and Teso sub regions at Soroti University Hall yesterdasy, Sempijja said a lot of resources have been put on the ground to combat the locusts without much success.
Desert Locusts are omnivorous and can stay in one place for 17 hours and if strong enough, can range 3,000 miles in their lifetime on an average of 50- 300 kilometers per day, according to the document shared by the National Task Force on Desert Locusts invasion in Uganda.
On Wednesday morning, more than 500 LDUs ferried from Moroto and Olilim bounced in Katakwi district when they failed to locate the locusts that had been seen in the area on Tuesday evening.
The team, that spent the whole night travelling with hopes of spraying the locusts in Ngariam and Palam sub counties had to relocate, according to the Minister.
Robert Adiama, the Amudat Resident District Commissioner, says it took the team in his district more than 15 kilometers to follow and locate a new swarm of locusts on Wednesday evening.
Adiama notes that much as the soldiers arrived at night, the insects were so sensitive to the movement and moved away as soon as the team arrived.
Hajji Wasswa Masokoyi, the Amudat Chief Administrative Officer observes that the management of desert locusts requires a standby team in all sub counties to be able to tackle the insects as they land.
By Wednesday evening, another swarm of the desert locusts entered Amudat from Kenya and settled around Katabok and Komaret in Amudat sub county.
Early Thursday morning, the UPDF team surrounded the area to start spraying. Currently, only Napak and Karenga districts in Karamoja sub region have not yet reported invasion of desert locusts.
In Teso, only Katakwi has reported the presence of the insects while other regions like Acholi has repprteed locusts in Agago and Kitgum.
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