DADU: Massive swarms of locusts attacked standing crops of cotton and vegetables in different parts of Dadu and Jamshoro districts on Saturday.

Locusts attacked fields of vegetables like ladyfinger, tomatoes, green chilli and others in Khudabad, Jhaloo, Phulji village, Phulji Station, Chhandan, Moubdar, Radhan, Thariri Mohabbat, Wahi Pandhi, Nau Goth and Fareedabad areas in Dadu district and the areas of Bhan Syedabad, Sehwan, Manjhand and Sann in Jamshoro district.

A grower of ladyfinger in Khudabad said that farmers were using different tactics to force the deadly insect to fly away from their crops but to no avail.

A cotton grower in Bhan Syedabad said that officials of agriculture department were not cooperating with farmers and advising them on how could they get rid of the locust swarms.

He demanded the government conduct aerial spray of insecticides to kill off the deadly insect.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2020