Locust attack: Pakistan may face food shortage this year

Last year swarms of locusts had attacked many parts of Sindh and other parts of the country by the end of May and destroyed about 15% of the standing crops. The locust initially came from Iran and other Gulf Arabian countries via Balochistan. They spread over upper Sindh’s districts and also in some areas of Southern Punjab. The areas right from the Nara Desert in Khairpur district in Sindh to the Cholistan Desert in Rahimyar Khan, the Punjab province attacked crops. In Sindh districts like Sanghar, Umerkot, and Tharparkar were also hit hard by locust swarms.

Sindh government raised hue and cry and sought support from the federal government in a vain.

Finally, the federal government had to declare a “national emergency” on January 31, 2020, to eliminate the attacking swarms of the desert locust, which have destroyed crops on a larger scale. The federal government had also approved a National Action Plan (NAP) with an estimated allocation of PKR 7.3 billion to overcome the crisis.

But this year the swarms have come to Sindh quite early (in April) with severe intensity and according to reports the locusts may completely destroy the cotton crop in the affected districts, as the crop was in its initial stage. It seems if the swarms are destroyed the farmers have to sow the crop late again to save their production, experts say.

This year, the locust attack is so severe and widespread that the farmers fear the country may face a famine line situation.

So far 35% of the total area affected by locust attack is in Sindh, said the provincial minister for Agriculture Ismail Rahu at a press briefing on May 5, 2020. “This is an emergency situation that needs immediate attention,” he said.

The photo was taken from the wall of Meghwal Malji

According to the United Nation’s agency Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at a 25% damage level, the total potential losses are estimated to be about PKR 353 billion (USD 2.2 billion) for the Rabi crops, and about PKR 464 billion (USD 2.9 billion) for Kharif crops.

The Sindh government has been complaining to the federal government for not cooperating in combating the locusts’ attacks. Sindh government needed aircraft from the federal government for pesticide sprays, but Minister Rahu complained that the federal government was not providing aircraft despite the fact the provincial government had agreed to provide fuel for those machines.

Instead, the central government provided aircraft to the Punjab government for spraying on locust swarms. Last year even a special aircraft used for spraying the vast areas in Southern Punjab was crushed and two persons, the pilot, and aircraft engineer were killed.

This is an alarming situation for a country like Pakistan, which is quite self-sufficient in food production, but in the midst of the additional impacts of COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus Pandemic) the health, livelihoods, food security and nutrition are under threats, which may impact the most vulnerable communities and populations of Pakistan. An FAO report has suggested that it is imperative to contain and successfully control the desert locust infestation.  

The FAO claimed that in 2019, the Pakistan government’s Department of Plant Protection (DPP), and Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MFSR) surveyed an area of 932,580 hectares and treated 300,595 hectares in three provinces, consuming 150,839 litres of pesticides. Of the hectares treated, 20,300 hectares were cleared by aerial spraying.

But this massive operation to kill the locusts seemed to be futile as this year’s attack is so massive in upper Sindh and Southern Punjab that it is feared that most of the cotton crop would be damaged.

Eating locusts

Last year social media was amused with the reports and video clips of people making Biryanis of Locusts in various parts of Sindh.  According to a news report in Thar’s Chhachharo area, restaurants were selling biryanis and curry dishes made from locusts.

Even in a lighter mode, Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu suggested a “bizarre solution” to fight locust manifestation by asking the people to cook the insects and enjoy delicious dishes made with locusts.

In Arab countries, people are still fond of eating fried locusts which they serve with rice but the insect dishes in this part of the Sub-Continent are mostly not popular. Even in Sindh people have stopped eating them.

Even some people started asking questions from religious scholars whether eating locusts are Halal or Haram. According to a scholar, locusts are Halal and can be eaten if people wish.