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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor

Zimbabwe is mobilising resources to take adequate preventive measures and save croplands following an outbreak of a plague of locust that swept through parts of neighbouring Namibia decimating grasslands, trees and 50 000 hectares of crops recently.

Shingirai Nyamutukwa, head of the Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Research Services Institute told the Herald yesterday that his department was mobilising resources to carry out effective locust forecasting and management of locust outbreaks in three provinces.

“We are in the process of mobilising resources to monitor locust outbreaks in Masvingo, Midlands and Matabeleland North provinces,” he said.

He said this was part of the country’s preparedness and response planning after it got alert of outbreaks in Namibia.