The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry has urged the government to arrange immediate aerial spray to control locust and fully support the farmers in their struggle against locust as worst attacks in decades had devastated agriculture sector in various parts of the country.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Senior Vice President Ali HussamAsghar and Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad said that locust swamps have destroyed wheat, cotton, vegetables and other crops at vast scale in different parts of the country that should be a matter of great concern for all.
The LCCI office-bearers said that crops, particularly cotton had already been badly affected by rains and now locusts attack is adding fire to the fuel. They said that our farmer brothers are too much worried and compelled to see their crops being destroyed in front of their eyes with tears.
They said that they are trying to run the millions of locusts away through self helps and with desi methods due to lack of support from the concerned authorities. Despite all efforts, farmers are unable to save their yields. They said that gangs of locust landing the cropped area and destroying everything in minutes. They said that the catastrophe has targeted some of the poorest rural parts of the country where poverty is already at its peak and farmers are heavily in debt.
“Millions of locusts are present in Pakistan and a failure to control meant they would grow and would become more devastating”, the LCCI office-bearers added. They said that being an agrarian country, Pakistan cannot afford to lose its agriculture base. If it happens, country would be facing a severe threat of food security and unavailability of raw materials for the industry that would make national economy vulnerable.
They demanded compensation for the affected farmers so that they can pay back their loans and can earn bread and butter for their families. He said that a special plan should be devised to kill locusts in all parts of the country.
LCCI for anti-locust aerial spray
