By Ronald Musoke, The Independent
Uganda risks losing up to US$218.3 million in export revenue if the desert locusts are not halted in the coming weeks, according to the agriculture ministry.
East Africa’s third largest economy earns billions of shillings from maize, cotton, coffee, fruits, vegetables and simsim exports.
Serious invasion
In 2018, Uganda earned US$106.8 million in maize exports, followed with cotton (US$44.3 million), fruits and vegetables (US$40.6 million) and simsim (US$26.6 million).
Agriculture minister Vincent Ssempijja said Uganda is at risk of incurring more losses if locusts decimate a dozen crops that are widely grown in the regions so far invaded.
Uganda, which had been locust-free for close to 70 years, was attacked in February causing both excitement and apprehension among the country’s population.
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The much anticipated swarms of desert locusts invaded Uganda from neighbouring Kenya through the northeastern district of Amudat in Karamoja sub-region and they have since been sighted in about 20 districts in Teso, Lango, Acholi and Sebei.
These regions are known to be the leading producers of cereals (maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, and millet), root crops (sweet potatoes and cassava), pulses (beans and pigeon peas) and oil crops (soy beans, simsim and sunflower).
Uganda coffee field
Farmers, however, are yet to record major losses since the locusts invaded the country during the offseason.
Uganda has two major cropping seasons — the first one begins in March until June and the second one starts in September until December.
However, the Mountain Elgon region of Sebei became the latest area to be invaded by the marauding insects. The swarms entered Bukwo District from Kenya’s West Pokot causing panic among farmers in the sub-region as the locusts covered the main crops -coffee trees, pines, cereals and bananas.
Banana field
The plantations, according to Bukwo Resident District Commissioner, Tom Chesol, could not be reached by the UPDF soldiers since the gardens are perched on cliffs.
Flowering coffee trees were badly damaged as the insects descended southwards to Kween District.
Local government officials said although UPDF soldiers who have been spraying the insects from the ground using hand-held pumps responded, it was not easy to fight the locusts because of the challenging mountainous terrain.
The recent swarms that entered Uganda have laid millions of eggs and the eggs are now hatching.
The minister said the eggs have also hatched in the Turkana area in northwestern Kenya from where the hoppers migrated to Uganda in early February.
IYoung locusts have been hatched”Uganda is in grave danger of incurring (agricultural) losses,” the agriculture minister said.
Ssempijja said the government in collaboration with her partners — FAO and the Desert Locust Control Organization (DLCO) are taking an all-out offensive approach within the Karamoja, Teso, Acholi, and Lango sub-regions to contain the situation.