Locust swarms in Nepal are small, don’t panic : Govt tells farmers

28 June, Kathmandu : The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has claimed locust swarms that have entered Nepal on Saturday are small in size and they have not caused a big loss in the country’s agriculture sector yet, urging the farmers not to panic.

The ministry officials including Agriculture Minister Ghanashyam Bhusal consulted experts about the problem in Kathmandu on Sunday morning and made the conclusion.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Bhusal said the ministry would coordinate with officials of the United Nations and the Indian government for measures needed to mitigate the effects.

During the meeting, some experts had warned that a bigger swarm is yet to come to Nepal from Rajasthan of India, but the minister said a tracking strategy would be developed consulting officials of the concerned Indian ministry and the Food and Agriculture Organisation under the UN.

Meanwhile, the ministry is organising a press conference later this afternoon to inform the public about the details of the losses caused by the attack across the country.