Let’s think beyond locust invasion to secure agriculture

The locust menace that the country has been grappling with for a while now is a thing of common knowledge. The complexity of the situation is compounded by the fact that the government seems to be at its wits end as far as coming up with a solution is concerned. The capacity of the locusts to destroy vegetation is unparalleled.

For communities that directly depend on agricultural produce for sustenance, the risk of imminent starvation is a reality. On a large enough scale, this situation can easily lead to a complete breakdown of the country’s food systems, with devastating consequences on the economy. It does not help to recollect that in the past few years, the agricultural sector has been hopping from the pit to an ever-deeper one. For instance, we have barely recovered from the recent fall armyworm scourge, yet here we are confronted with a plague of biblical proportions.