Grasshoppers Attack Hundreds Of Hectares Of Agricultural Crops, Central Sumba Declared Pest Emergency

Central Sumba Regent Paulus SK Limu (Photo: ANTARA / HO)

JAKARTA - Central Sumba Regent Paulus SK Limu stated that the local area is currently in a state of emergency for locust pests that have attacked hundreds of hectares of agricultural crops in the central district of Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

"The current condition of Central Sumba, I have declared an emergency for locust pests that are increasingly attacking farmers' maize crops, which have 200 hectares and hundreds of hectares are also potentially attacked", he said when contacted from Kupang, quoted by Antara, Saturday, March 13.

He said grasshopper pests have been attacking the local area since last September 2020 and are currently increasingly attacking farmers' maize crops, especially in Umbu Ratu Ngga District.

For this reason, Regent Paulus said that every day about 100 employees from the district were deployed to the field to help eradicate these pests.

"Every day, three or four Regional Work Units (SKPDs) each mobilize about 20 members to go to the field to help spray pesticides", he said.

In fact, he said that even on Sunday, government officials continued to work in shifts because locust pests were spreading faster, especially from flying grasshoppers.

"Eradication is more effective when the grasshoppers are still young and have just hatched because if they are big and can fly, they need extra work", he said.

Paulus added that currently, collaborative efforts between officers from the district and village officials, as well as community leaders, and residents or farmers are continuing to carry out eradication.

He said that because the locust migration originated from the East Sumba Regency and until now it has massively attacked Central Sumba, he hopes that all district governments throughout Sumba Island will move with all components to take action.

"These four districts need to work together to involve all components of society so that it becomes a joint movement because the grasshopper attack has become a disaster", he said.