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