Turkey donates technology to Pakistan to fight locusts

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Turkey's state-run aid agency on Thursday donated new technology to Pakistan to fight locust attacks in the country.

The ULV vehicle-mounted and man-mounted machines along with pesticides were handed over by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency's (TIKA) officials to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The handover ceremony was also attended by Federal Food Security and Research Minister Fakhar Imam, Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mustafa Yurdakul, and TIKA head in the capital Islamabad Gokhan Umut.

At the occasion, Imam thanked the Turkish government and people for their generosity.

"The government is working to modernize the agriculture sector in the country, and these machines will upgrade agricultural technology," he said.

In a tweet, Yurdakul said: "Happy to be part of Pakistan's efforts to fight locust swarms."

Last year swarms of locusts invaded agricultural fields in over 60 districts throughout Pakistan.

These insects, mainly originating from deserts, eat anything from bark to seeds and flowers while traveling up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) a day.

Last May the region saw the first wave of a locust invasion since 1993.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 38% of Pakistan's agriculture fields are breeding grounds for the insects.