Agriculture Ministry works around the clock to prevent locust spread in Kazakhstan

In response to the rapid locust spread, a leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan has traveled to the affected regions to coordinate on-the-ground measures, Kazinform News Agency cites the Kazakh Government.

The ministry announced that from now on the General Operational Headquarter will hold its meetings twice a week. All regions continue to monitor the situation around the clock and redeploy the equipment and additional pesticides to specific areas, if necessary.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Serik Zhumangarin, will be traveling to the Zhetysu region with a view to oversee the operational management of organizational measures. Similarly, the Minister of Agriculture, Aidarbek Saparov, will be visiting Turkistan region as well as the Vice Ministers of Agriculture will visit the Kostanay and Aktobe regions.
“We have never faced such huge areas of locust spread as this year,” Zhumangarin emphasized.
Heat and spread of locusts across an area of 60 thousand hectares is making the situation in the Turkistan region worse. As of June 10, 45, 300 hectares of the affected area have already been treated. Of these, 36,800 hectares were treated in Arys town, 6,700 hectares in Shardara district, and 1,600 hectares in Keles district.
Furthermore, 46 employees from the Ministry of Agriculture have been dispatched to Turkistan region to inspect the area for treatment. Insects will be retreated with a double dose of chemicals when found.