The recent locust outbreak in the Karoo has frightened many a farmer, inciting fears of food insecurity and loss. On today’s episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, Gert Greyvenstein, retired resource conservation inspector at the department of agriculture, land reform, and rural development, tells us why we need not worry overly much.
Greyvenstein says that locusts normally hatch in the central Karoo, then migrate into the other provinces. Locusts grow from eggs to hoppers to adults, and Greyvenstein says the hopper phase is when government and farmers attempt to eradicate them.
“The government [is] currently taking responsibility for locust control in partnership with farmers, which actually works very [well]. I don’t think we are fighting a losing battle because we have controllers in every district that control the affected areas where the need arises.”’
The controllers he is referring to are those that assist the locust officer in each district. Greyvenstein says that government is using a ‘commando system’ to control the outbreak. In other words, there are dedicated units in each district, set up to control the infestation.
“[What] the farmers can do is, they must find out who their district locust officers are. If the farmers know who these people are, they can phone them immediately and report the swarms. That will help the controllers quite a lot.”
Greyvenstein says South Africans need not worry about facing food insecurity due to locust swarms. He explains that, as long as the outbreaks are controlled effectively, the food situation in the country will not be unduly affected.
“As long as they have accepted the responsibility to control locusts in partnership with farmers, locusts in our country will never leave us without [food] or lead [to] famine as it does in [other] parts of Africa.”
ALSO READ – WATCH: ‘Uncontrollable locusts to stay until winter’
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The best agriculture news podcast on the planet also features other highlights for the agricultural sector this week:
- Vermiculture 101: Vermiculture, or worm farming, is a hailed as an excellent, cheap, and effective way to provide fertiliser for your plants. Davidzo Chizhengeni, animal scientist and Zimbabwean vermiculture farmer, gives us some insight into the practice.
- Agripreneur 101: Eco Diva is a natural skincare line developed when the founder, Nicole Sherwin, fell ill due to heavy metal poisoning. She joins us on this week’s episode to tell us more.
- Book of the week: Our book of the week is is Off the Clock, by Laura Vanderkam. The book is selected by you, our listeners.
- Farmer Tip of the week: This week’s farmer tip comes from Zamo Shongwe, Buhle Farmer’s Academy, finance and business director.
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