AGRICULTURAL NEWS - The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has urged farmers in the Free State, Northern Cape and Western Cape to report any sightings of locust swarms so that these can be prevented from spreading throughout the country.
The department’s call comes after locust swarms were spotted in several districts in the Free State. According to Free State Agriculture, several swarms of locusts had been observed in the southern and southwestern parts of the Free State.
Dr Jack Armour, Free State Agriculture operations manager, said swarms of locusts were capable of inflicting extremely extensive crop damage.
“If a swarm descends on a 30ha of maize under irrigation, they will wipe [out all] sprouting vegetation. The same goes for planted lucerne.”
