Minister calls upon Ugandans to eat invading desert locusts

Minister calls upon Ugandans to eat invading locusts

Uganda’s state minister for Kalamoja Affairs, Mr Moses Kizige advised residents to eat the deadly desert locusts that invaded the country last week.

Locusts entered Uganda through North West Pokot in Kenya, where they have destroyed acres of vegetation, including crops.

‘Feed on these locusts, they are like grasshoppers,’ says Minister Kizige.

He called for calm, as the government battles the locusts.

Desert locusts, according to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) have destroyed vegetation in Kenya as they move towards Uganda.

They travel in dense, crackling swarms which can contain an estimate of 80 million locusts per square kilometre.

Facts about the desert locusts that worry farmers in Uganda.

It is believed that the locusts can live for up to five months.

Depending on weather and local conditions.

They can lay eggs that can hatch after two weeks, with locusts maturing to adulthood in two to four months on average.

Adult desert locust feeds on vegetation of its weight daily.

They can destroy about 96 million kilogrammes of vegetation in just one day!

Desert locusts are moving toward south west of Uganda from Karamoja which has increased panic among farmers in Buganda region, and western Uganda.