All eyes on potential locust outbreak

Namibia&#039;s Cabinet has instructed the agriculture ministry to monitor a potential outbreak of insect pests during the rainy season.In the north, an outbreak of an armyworm infestation has already been reported, and warnings have been issued about possible locust swarms.Last Tuesday, during the first Cabinet meeting, the Office of the Prime Minister briefed the new Cabinet on the rainfall situation. The likelihood of a locust outbreak in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and “the probable spread to Namibia” were also discussed.“The majority of Namibia received normal rainfall, while some areas experienced above-normal rainfall between February and March,” said information minister Emma Theofelus during the Cabinet meeting last week. She said Cabinet has instructed the agriculture ministry to begin raising community awareness about the outbreak and control of locusts and other pests."The Cabinet has also instructed the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs to provide the necessary aerial and other support required to control the locust outbreak in the country," Theofelus added.Last year, red locusts appeared in some riverine areas of the Zambezi Region, as well as in the Ohangwena Region.Two years ago, brown locust swarms caused severe destruction in the //Kharas and Hardap regions.Currently, an armyworm infestation is ravaging crops in the Oshana and Omusati regions, heightening fears of crop failures of mahangu, maize and sorghum.

All eyes on potential locust outbreak

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-08

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All eyes on potential locust outbreak

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-08

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