The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform is cautioning motorists in the ||Kharas and Hardap regions to drive cautiously following the fourth wave outbreak of the brown locust infestation.

A media statement issued on Saturday by the ministry’s acting executive director, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, said the two regions have been a breeding zone for brown locust after receiving good rains, with the first outbreak reported November 2021.

The Namibian Police Force reported road accidents caused due to the presence of locusts on the road, with the most recent accident occurring on the B1 road about 20 kilometres north of Keetmanshoop on Saturday where three people died.

The statement said the ministry has deployed 23 staff members to the regions, and a total of 109 470 hectares was sprayed, whilst 2 119 681 hectares is under surveillance and monitoring.

It added that the ministry also initiated awareness campaigns through local radio stations in Hardap and ||Kharas to alert farmers on the presence of the pest and protocols involved during the operations.

“The ministry requests farmers to open up their farm gates to allow the teams to have full access to the infested areas, as spraying from outside the fences does not yield any positive and conclusive results. The spraying teams are currently on the ground in the two regions at about 03h00 to 10h00 daily,” it reads.

The statement indicated that the locusts in both regions are all at developmental stages of their life cycles, forming bands and swarms able to fly up to 100 kilometres per day depending on the wind velocity.

The ||Kharas and Hardap communities are also urged to report any presence of locusts to their nearest ministry offices.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency