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Sunday, May 28, 2023 | 
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People in Pakistan are collecting locusts. Here’s why

Farmers can use them for chicken feed

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE People in Pakistan are collecting locusts. Here’s why
Locusts swarm above a mango tree orchard in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan, Friday, May 29, 2020. Pakistani officials say an outbreak of desert locusts is spreading across the country posing a threat to food security.

Locusts swarm above a mango tree orchard in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan, on Friday, May 29, 2020. Pakistani officials say an outbreak of desert locusts is spreading across the country posing a threat to food security.

Tariq Qureshi, Associated Press

Farmers in Pakistan have been collecting locusts so they can have some free chicken feed, BBC News reports.

What’s going on:

  • Pakistani farmers decided to collect locusts for chicken feed after the area saw an influx of the insect over the past few months.
  • Prime Minister Imran Khan has created a new pilot project where people collect the insects for chicken feed. This helps the country contain the spread of insects and pay farmers through free seed.
  • People can receive 20 rupees (12 cents) per kilogram (roughly 2 pounds), per Al Jazeera. So people have worked throughout the night to collect the insects.
  • One farmer said she lost all of her crops because of the insects. But she and her son gained back 1,600 rupees ($10) in one outing, which can help the family deal with financial damage, according to Al Jazeera.
  • The project is isolated to the Punjab province. It might expand in the future, according to BBC News.

What’s going on with locusts

  • An influx of locusts have spread throughout Africa and Asia over the last few months, just as the world struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.
  • A second larger wave of locusts first threatened millions n April, according to The Associated Press.
  • Africa prepared for the second wave of locusts, which was an issue for several countries since many resources had been dedicated to dealing with COVID-19, as I reported for the Deseret News.
  • The locusts continue to create widespread damage in African nations, as I reported for the Deseret News.

Correction: This article previously referenced insects as “inspects.”