11 October 2023
By: Joanie Bergh
The possibility of a locust plague in 2024 is high, but it seems farmers are out of the firing line for the rest of the year.
Carlo Nolte of Agri North Cape says district officials from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development believe the next major locust outbreak will probably occur next year after the province has experienced good rains for the past two years.
“We are ready for the next outbreak. We are better equipped than with previous outbreaks,” he says. “We have sufficient pesticide ready, the equipment is in good condition and the contracts of locust officers are in order.”
In 2021, farmers experienced the worst locust outbreak in 25 years. More than 23 million hectares were affected, of which about 90% was agricultural land.
Nolte says no cases have been reported in Namibia or further into Africa, but there have been reports in Madagascar, which has no impact on South Africa.
Eastern Cape
Günther Pretorius, Agri Eastern Cape’s manager of economics and natural resources, says previous outbreaks started in the Northern Cape and Western Cape before spreading to the Eastern Cape.
“It usually ends here with us. So far, no reports have been made – by this time, it would have started emerging.”
He believes the department is better equipped to handle plagues than previously and that the same mistakes will not be made again.
Weather
Environmental scientist and pest expert Dr Gerhard Verdoorn says if the weather remains as it is in the Karoo – cool with plenty of rain – the chances of an outbreak are small.
“However, we do not know what the weather will do. There is sufficient insecticide available from the department.”
