He addressed an awareness session on locust control held for farming community at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The event was arranged by Department of Entomology, UAF at New Senate Hall. He said all-out efforts were being carried out to address the issue of locusts and other agricultural challenges. He said there is need to eradicate locust at the initial three stages of its life before becoming adult. He asked the farming community to help out the institutions to identify the locust breeding spots so that proper measures could be taken. He said that Cholistan and Tharparkar were the breeding place for the locust where farming community will be sensitized to wipe out the locust at the initial level. He said the government had launched incentive scheme for farming community to combat the locust. He said that climate changes had played a role to move the locust from desert places to the agricultural areas. He appreciated the role of UAF on locust control program and its recommendations that will bring tangible results. He said we have to focus on bio pesticide.

UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that the sincere efforts were underway on the part of all governmental institutions to fight the locust. He said that climate changes provoked the locusts shift from desert areas to others. He added that the university had set up a locust research cell under which work was being done carried out on war footing. He said after 27 years, it had hit crops at the huge level. He said that in the near future, a fresh locust attack is likely in the country for which we have to take the measurer.

Chairman Dr Masnsoor Ul Hassan said that UAF had launched a research work on locust life history, attacked areas, various stages with day, critical stage to hit for low pesticide, management techniques, potential threats, effect of climate changes, and mitigation strategies. Dr Sohail Ahmad said that it can travel in swarm from 100 to 150 kilometer a day for ten hours at the height of 2000 meter. Dr Ameer Rasul said that a female laid eggs of 80 to 100 in one time. He stressed upon the need to plough the breeding spot. He said plants extracts could be helpful to eradicate the locust. He said that we have to combat the locust before becoming adults that is easier approach. He said that chemical control with proper quantity may be used as the last resort. Dr Sagheer said that according to FAO, in Pakistan, 38 per cent of the area (60pc in Balochistan, 25pc in Sindh and 15pc in Punjab) are breeding grounds for the desert locust, whereas the entire country is under the threat of invasion if the desert locust is not contained.