[VIDEO] Locust plague already costing government millions
According to the Department of Agriculture, the outbreak has been registered in 45 districts of the Northern Cape between January 2020 and August 2021, where it was brought under control.
The brown locust plague affecting the Northern Cape and other provinces in the interior of South Africa is already costing millions of rands to combat according to the national Department of Agriculture.
The Department says in a written reply to Parliament that combatting the plague in various provinces has already cost it more than R74,6m.
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This includes the cost of appointing and training contractors, as well as the cost of insecticides and related safety material.
According to the Department, the outbreak has been registered in 45 districts of the Northern Cape between January 2020 and August 2021, where it was brought under control.
Motorists in the interior of the country have reported large swarms of locusts during the December and January period though with videos on social media showing the spread of the pests.
Motorists are ⚠️ to be mindful of the hazards posed by locust swarms currently wreaking havoc across the country. A listener shared this video taken on Wednesday morning where they were "hit" by 2 swarms on N10, Middleburg/Noupoort @Agri_EC @landbou @DALRRDgov_ZA @AlgoaFM pic.twitter.com/A8qmtUp5LJ
— AlgoaFMNews (@AlgoaFMNews) January 5, 2022
The locust invasion.
— Ramitoyi (@RamiGlobal) December 31, 2021
It's about to be a tricky and hard time for many farmers cause this locust invasion ravaged many parts of Africa.
This is definitely going hit our food supply and exports pic.twitter.com/zJIMyj3f0Q
Northern Cape - N1 Route: Locust Swarm south of Colesberg pic.twitter.com/HGL739F7yR
— Rob Beezy (@TrafficSA) January 5, 2022