Farmers of Pakistan are facing the worst epidemic in recent history.

It is a loss of billions of

dollars and long term food shortage and farmers will take years to recover from it.

The first swarm of desert locusts attacked in 2019, it came from UAE and appeared in Pubjab’s

Cholistan area in July, and after a few months, it departed toward Balochistan and south Punjab.

The entire country is facing this pandemic but 37% area of Pakistan is more vulnerable and it

includes Sindh, Balochistan, and KPK. Punjab is less vulnerable because, despite the shortage of

resources, Punjab has managed this problem, they have arranged helicopters for spraying the

medicine for future attacks but still, 720 acres area in Punjab got affected. Weather or climate

change is also a reason for the spread of this infection because, in low temperature and rain/wet

weather, swarms leave their breed behind and move to the next place. So to get rid of these

desert locusts, dry weather needs to set in.

This problem falls in the category of natural disasters because the attack of locusts is natural and

climate change is also natural. And an increase in the number of locusts is also natural because

science can not handle these things and it occurs naturally.

The Agricultural sector and economy of Pakistan are facing severe damage because of this

disaster. The agriculture sector is worried that many will starve because about 40% of the

agriculture area is already under attack and they are expecting a few more attacks in the future.

It has threatened food security also because if this situation will continue, it will be the reason for

the famine in Pakistan. Malnutrition and hunger are already the major issues of Pakistan, due to

this infection many people will die and it is threatening the food security. It will cause major

damage to the economy of Pakistan because it will raise the amount of debt and export of food

and products from foreign countries. Pakistan is a third world country and this issue will halt the

development. Because the agriculture sector is crucial in the overall development of Pakistan
after the industrial sector and about 65% population is dependent on agriculture. This attack is

affecting farmers the most. They are seeing the destruction of their crops and they are the ones

who will starve the most.

Spraying pesticides or medicines from the air can help in preventing future attacks or further

destruction but the government is not helping farmers or facilitating them. Only Punjab

provinces have managed to arrange helicopters for spraying pesticides to stop future attacks but

other provinces are highly imperiled. Farmers are trying on their own the traditional ways to get

rid of insects but this issue needs immediate actions on a high level.

Agriculture ministry officials are saying that this situation is hard to control because of corona

pandemic and climate change. This sudden attack also revealed to our system that how weak and

irresponsible it is that there were no measures to cater this issue on a high level. Agriculture is

the the most crucial sector of Pakistan and the government is so irresponsible.