The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries have revealed that they are in need of upto UGX 16Bn to fight the latest swarms of locusts that have invaded three districts in the Teso Sub-region.
Initial reports suggest that a new larger swarm of desert locusts invaded some three districts in the said region destroying several gardens of food crops.
The locusts entered the region on Sunday from Amudat in Karamoja region and are said to be currently settled in the districts of Kumi, Katakwi and Ngora.
In one the mostly affected districts, Kumi, the swarm stretched up to a distance of ten square kilometers and destroyed gardens of millet, cassava, green gram, sorghum and trees.
The Ministry of Agriculture has now called upon Parliament to approve the money to help in efforts to counter the locusts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has already initiated the spraying of the locusts in Teso.
