Earlier, the local units across the country had fixed the price of locusts between Rs 20to Rs 100. The government decided to hike the purchasing price for locusts in a bid to motivate and enthuse the locust catchers and collectors. These insets could be used as the possible feed for chicken and fish.
The locust swarms reportedly entered into the country on June 27 and were spotted in various parts of the country within next few days. The herbivorous insects often flow in swarm, each swarm consisting of millions, according to experts.
The insect that is related to grasshopper family weights 1.98 to 2 grammes on average.
The Plant Quarantine and Pesticides Management Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development put the proposal for the same. The Ministry had formed a task force to launch study on the entry of locusts in Nepal and find means and ways to control them. The same task force put forward the proposal, informed Centre's Chief Sahadev Prasad Humagain.
Humagain explained, "A tiny band of locusts have entered Nepal and spread across the country. Given the small number of locusts entering Nepal, there has not been significant damage to the crops yet."
He further elaborated, "The Ministry floated to provide Rs 500 per kg for locusts aimed at encouraging the catchers and collectors as well as to control whatever number of locusts that were moving in and around the country." The pesticides used to control locusts could harm human beings and natural environment. Hence, the Centre discourages use of such harmful chemicals.
The Centre has also suggested the Ministry to ready the necessary tools to catch locusts using the local resources and ingenious methods. Locusts have spread across 54 of the 77 districts in the country so far.