Brown locusts infest 1.2 million hectares in //Karas

A total of 1.2 million hectares are infested by brown locusts in the //Karas Region and 300 hectares are infested in the Hardap Region. This was confirmed by the agriculture ministry’s acting executive director, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, who said that the country is experiencing a fourth wave of brown locust infestation affecting grazing land in the two southern regions.

The first outbreak was reported in November last year at the Karasburg East Constituency after heavy rainfall.

“Thereafter, the //Karas and Hardap regions have been the breeding zones for brown locusts,” said Nghituwamata.

According to her, monitoring and control teams have surveyed a total area of 1.8 million hectares in //Karas, of which 1.2 million hectares are sporadically infested by brown locusts.

In the Hardap Region, the presence of brown locust was detected in the Maltahöhe and Gibeon areas and a total of 490 hectares were surveyed, of which 300 hectares were sporadically infested.

“The locusts in both regions are all at developmental stages of their life cycles, from ... hatching, hopping to flying stages.”

Swarms can fly up to 100 km per day, depending on the wind velocity.

Nghituwamata said the ministry had distributed pesticides, mounted vehicle sprayers, protective gear, mist blowers and camping materials to the //Karas and Hardap regions for use during this fourth wave of infestation.

To date the ministry, supported by farmers, has sprayed more than 1.094 million hectares under surveillance and monitoring

“To intensify the control of brown locust, a reinforcement team of 23 staff members from other regions were deployed to the //Karas and Hardap regions,” she said.

Slippery roads

Motorists in the //Karas and Hardap regions are warned to drive cautiously when approaching locusts on the road surface to avoid accidents.

On Friday afternoon, three people were killed in an accident about 30 km outside Keetmanshoop when a driver lost control on a road made slippery by locusts.

There were 15 passengers on board the Toyota Combi that was travelling from Keetmanshoop to Windhoek. The deceased have been identified as Maria Hatzenburg, Natalia Ndatipo and Mbiseraije Karuumbe.

Three other passengers who were in critical condition were transported to Windhoek Central Hospital later that evening.

Eleven of the passengers were taken to the Keetmanshoop State Hospital with moderate injuries.

Rino Masa (24) who sat next to the driver and sustained a broken leg, said as they were approaching the swarm of locusts, she asked the driver whether the locusts could cause accidents and just after he said yes, the vehicle started skidding and overturned.

“As we approached the locusts the driver tried to decrease his speed but it was too late; everything happened so fast. I am just grateful that I am safe and that I had my safety belt on,” Masa said.

Masa said there were no road signs warning motorists that the road ahead was full of locusts and speed should be decreased.

The Roads Authority has also warned motorists about the locust outbreak in the //Karas Region.

“These migratory insect species move in swarms over the road surface, causing potential safety issues for motorists. Very often, motorists find themselves caught unaware of the locust swarm invasion on the road, leaving them with little choice but to drive through the swarm, killing them in the process. This leaves a fatty residue on the road surface, which causes the road to become slippery and a danger to other motorists,” it said.

Monitoring

The ministry has surveyed 2.119 million hectares nationally and no locust swarms have been reported in any other regions.

A total of 384 farmers and 58 technical staff were trained on the elocust3m mobile phone application for surveillance, monitoring and mapping of the affected areas in all 14 regions.