NAUNDERO:Swarms of locusts once again attacked standing crops in Naundero area and its adjoining villages, causing widespread destruction to paddy saplings, mangoes, guava orchards and vegetables on Sunday.
On seeing millions of locusts, tillers came out holding sticks and large tins in their hands to drive them out of their agricultural fields. It is expected that growers and peasants will suffer huge losses due to which they were extremely worried as the federal and provincial governments have so far failed to eradicate the locusts which will also raise issues of food security in the coming years apart from millions of rupees losses to them.
Peasants Muhammad Nawaz Tagar, Rajib Khuhro and Ismail Khuhro said that they had been made scapegoat over the dispute between the federal and provincial governments over who will eliminate swarms of locusts and both had so far failed to protect their crops which was their fundamental duty. They said that had the plant protection department been alive in the country and in working condition, today they would not have faced such a terrible situation.
The famers said ultimately people would also face food shortage and prices would be raised by the traders due to short supply. They said swarms of locusts were more dangerous pandemic than coronavirus, but both governments were busy in combating COVID-19 as if they had resolved all other problems faced by their voters and supporters.
They said rice would be unavailable for the poor next year and vegetable rates would also be enhanced for shortage which will very badly affect poor people as unemployment had also reached its new heights. They said paddy saplings were being destroyed by the locusts and it would take more time to sow fresh seeds and till then sowing paddy saplings’ time will be over.
These farmers said they had been crying since last year, but both governments paid no heed as if it was not their primary duty to protect crops and save poverty-stricken people from destruction.