The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry hasurged the government to fully support the farmers in war against locust asworst attacks in decades had devastated agriculture sector in various partsof the country
Lahore (Pakistan Point News / Online - 08th February, 2020) The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry hasurged the government to fully support the farmers in war against locust asworst attacks in decades had devastated agriculture sector in various partsof the country.The LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that according to reports,locust swamps have destroyed around 40 percent of wheat, cotton,vegetables and other crops in different parts of Sindh and now the locustswamps have entered into Punjab that should be a matter of great concernfor all.
The LCCI President said that crops, particularly cotton had already beenbadly affected by rains and now locusts attack is adding fire to the fuel. Hesaid that our farmer brothers are too much worried and compelled to seetheir crops being destroyed in front of their eyes with tears.He said that they are trying to run the millions of locusts away through selfhelps and with desi methods due to lack of support from the concernedauthorities. Despite all efforts, farmers are unable to save their yields.
Hesaid that gangs of locust landing the cropped area and destroyingeverything in minutes.Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that the catastrophe has targeted some of thepoorest rural parts of the country where poverty is already at its peak andfarmers are heavily in debt."Millions of locusts are present in Pakistan and a failure to control meantthey would grow and would become more devastating", the LCCI Presidentadded.Being an agrarian country, Pakistan cannot afford to lose its agriculturebase.
If it happens, country would be facing a severe threat of food securityand unavailability of raw materials for the industry that would makenational economy vulnerable.The LCCI President demanded compensation for the affected farmers sothat they can pay back their loans and can earn bread and butter for theirfamilies. He said that a special plan should be devised to kill locusts in allparts of the country.
