Northern Cape farms warned of locusts

04 February 2013 - 20:35 By Sapa
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"A very small swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people."
"A very small swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people."
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

Farmers in the Northern Cape have been warned to act swiftly to protect their crops against attacks by swarms of locusts.

The locusts posed a serious threat if they were not well-controlled, especially in the Pixley Ka Seme District, said provincial agricultural spokesman Phemelo Manankong.

"They can wipe out entire crops and natural vegetation that animals feed on, reducing a prosperous farmer to ruin with their voracious appetite," he said.

The department said it had been faced with serious problems in the past when farmers were reluctant to report the crisis in advance.

Farmers were now being urged to immediately alert the department's locust control team and assist them by pointing out the locusts' settling destinations so control measures would be applied.

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