The Ministry of Agriculture has warned that there could be a locust invasion from the Mandera county in Kenya.
The ministry says the deadly insects could spread to other countries with Uganda being among them.
Speaking at the handover ceremony of the Desert Locust Support equipment to the ministry at its Headquarters in Entebbe, Maj. Gen. David Kasura-Kyomukama, the Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary said that Food And Agricultural Organization (FAO) forecast on Desert Locust released on October 31, 2021, indicated that the Desert Locust swarms are still active in Mandera county in North East Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
“At the cost of the invasions, the government put in place structures to guide and implement the control operations including various committees.
It is against this strategy and plan that government and partners managed to control the Desert Locust spread and received support from various donors,” said Kasura-Kyomukama.
He claimed that Uganda successfully controlled Desert Locusts and averted a potential loss of over $800M arising from the protection of food and cash crops in the affected areas.
In 2020, desert locusts spread to 17 districts in the north eastern, northern, and north western parts of the country.
Gov’t spent Shs22 billion to facilitate the fight against the locust invasion.