Advisory For Odisha Farmers On Steps To Drive Away Locust Swarms From Farms

Locusts Swarming In Jaipur City. Photo: PTI

Bhubaneswar: With huge swarms of desert locusts destroying crops across western and central India in the biggest outbreak in 70 years, the Directorate of Extension Education under Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology has issued an advisory, asking farmers of the state to duly follow the best practices in dealing with the menace.

Those in bordering areas have been asked to remain alert and spray 200 litres of 5 per cent Neem Seed Kernel Extract (NSKE) per acre of crops and vegetation after sunset, besides other pests control measures.

Locusts swarming farmland can be repelled using thorny bushes and by beating utensils, the advisory read.

The farmers have been directed to shake big trees with large polythene spread underneath them and kill the fallen warms by drowning them in kerosene mixed water.

The swarms devour leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark and growing points, and also destroy plants by their sheer weight as they descend on them in massive numbers.

Last week, the World Bank had approved a record $500 million in grants and low-interest loans to help countries in Africa and the Middle East fight swarms of desert locusts.

Also: Advisory For Odisha Farmers On Steps To Drive Away Locust Swarms From Farms