FNB contributes to locust outbreak fight

FNB Namibia has donated a sum of N$100 000 towards the fight against the African migratory red locust which has spread to various regions across the country.

Fresh reports on the ground indicate the swarm, which had initially invaded the Zambezi region, has now penetrated the areas of Ohangwena and some parts of Oshikoto.

The locust swarm grew and caused damage to crops leading to huge financial losses and socio-economic consequences for affected communities.

Since the second outbreak in early August, the locusts have destroyed 500 hectares of grazing land in the Zambezi region.

The outbreak has also been classified as a food security threat, leading to collaboration between the University of Namibia and FNB to tackle the scourge.

Head of FNB public sector banking Leslie Puriza remarked that they are excited to make this donation to support the backbone of Namibia’s economy.

“FNB Namibia is proud to be able to assist this work with a donation of N$100 000. We hope that this amount will go a long way in enabling all parties to tackle the locust invasion in a professional, environmentally friendly and sustainable manner,” said Puriza.

Unam vice- chancellor Kenneth Matengu noted his appreciation and the importance of collaboration.

“We appreciate the business we enjoy with FNB and also the opportunities that we can collaborate on meaningfully and create an impact in the sphere that we work in,” he said.

Unam’s pro-vice-chancellor of research innovation and development, Anicia Peters, said the donation will go towards strengthening community engagement and procuring equipment and tools to curb the spread of the outbreak.

She further said that Unam’s support towards this fight was inspired by the region’s difficulty in trying to contain the spread of the virus.

“It wasn’t particularly the outbreak of locust that captured our attention; it was the difficulty that the region had in containing the outbreak – specifically the challenge they faced when it comes to spraying the pesticides. Farmers had to move their livestock to another location for 21 days to spray the affected location and moved them back to spray the other area,” said Peters.

In response to the outbreak, the university’s support has mainly been through complementary research efforts to understand the behaviour of these locusts.

So far, the university has managed to track and map the locust to see where the hotspots and what their movement patterns are.

They also studied the locust behaviour pattern to point out precise locations for aerial spraying as well as make a prediction of their next location and how to effectively curb them.

In addition to spraying, the research team also looked at natural methods to curb the spread.

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