WESTERN CAPE farmers in the three regions plagued by swarms of locusts warn that prolonged infestation will have a dire effect on food security and jobs.
A quarter of nearly 200 000 agricultural jobs are at risk and many could go hungry, warn experts.
Swarms of locusts continue to wreak havoc in parts of the province some of which are experiencing severe drought. Experts called for an urgent intervention to control the outbreak to protect the hard-earned gains made by easing Covid-19 regulations and to avoid further increasing food prices.
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture said swarms within the province were dominant in three districts but mostly affecting areas such as Calitzdorp, Ladismith and Oudtshoorn and have put pressure on farmers and agricultural groups.
Farmer Casper Erasmus said he had been farming in the Central Karoo since 1968, raising sheep and growing mielies. He called on the government to support farmers with equipment to manage the outbreak.
“The lack of enough aerial sprays, drones, solo sprays and poison by the department is costing us. If you have mielies on your farm these pests clean them out to only the stem remaining. They devour the leaves around the crops and make sure that you cannot do anything anymore,” he said.
“The main damage by the locusts in our region is on the plants that are under irrigation. They attack and clean them out and that costs money because we use the electricity to pump water.”
The director for sustainable resource use and management from the Department of Agriculture, Ashia Petersen, said: “If the locust infestations are not controlled, they will pose a severe threat to food security. The locust infestation in Kenya, the worst in 70 years, demonstrated just how devastating these plagues can be, if left uncontrolled.”
“Agriculture plays a major role in the rural economy, and the devastating drought has severely impacted this sector. The department will continue to provide fodder support to these affected communities to mitigate the impact of the drought and this is proving to be crucial, now that the locusts are devouring the veld. Fodder support to farmers has enabled many of our farmers to continue employing their agri-workers.
Agricultural economist from the Department of Agriculture Tshepo Morolong said: “The Central Karoo, Garden Route and Overberg districts are extremely vulnerable to the potential impact of the locusts’ outbreak because these areas are already experiencing the worst drought.
