PESHAWAR: Pakistan needs a coordinated strategy to deal with ongoing locust attacks, as the situation can result in a food emergency, agriculture officials and experts warned on Thursday.
Although the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government conducted ground and aerial spraying, Muhammad Naveed, deputy director for plant protection at the KP Agriculture Extension Department, told Arab News the insects were still entering the province from Balochistan and Punjab.
“We have conducted 20 operations through ground and aerial spray, finishing and containing the insects’ further spread. The only viable option is that all four provinces should launch a synchronized and coordinated strategy to counter the desert locusts efficiently,” Khan said, referring to KP, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh, which have suffered the worst locust outbreaks.
“The country can face with food crisis if timely action isn’t taken,” he said.
Last week, the KP government used drone sprayers in parts of southern Dera Ismail Khan district amid an increase in locust swarms in the impoverished region.
Abdul Mateen Babar, a farmer in Dera Ismail Khan, told Arab News that locust attacks were reported in remote areas bordering Balochistan from where the insects were entering his region. “Locusts hover over ready crops like clouds in the sky,” he said.
Desert locusts, swarming short-horned grasshoppers, have been destroying crops in Africa and Asia for centuries. Their ability to move in huge swarms with great speed makes them one of the most devastating agricultural plagues.
In January last year, the locusts flew from the Red Sea coast of Sudan and Eritrea to hit Saudi Arabia and Iran. They entered Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province in March. In May, they arrived in Sindh.
The KP government declared a state of emergency after the insects entered Dera Ismail Khan in late January.
Dr. Anwar Bhittani, an agriculture expert from southern Tank district, said that locusts could now damage ready wheat crops as their breeding season starts in mid-February and will last till mid-March.
“One locust can damage food of several persons. In the current situation, the federal government should activate the departments of all the four provinces to produce a joint and synchronized strategy to deal with the looming danger,” he added.
Dr. Inamullah Khan, professor at the University of Agriculture Peshawar, said locusts naturally move to warmer places because of favorable weather conditions for their quick reproduction. They can travel 150 kilometers a day and a female insect lays up to 200 eggs at once, he added.
“The desert locusts are attacking wheat, which is our staple food. Our annual wheat production is almost 25 million tons … and our total consumption stands at 23.5 million tons annually. I fear there may be a food crisis if the insects cannot be controlled,” Khan said.
Locust invasion of Pakistan may lead to food crisis – experts
https://arab.news/pvbru
Locust invasion of Pakistan may lead to food crisis – experts
- Locust breeding season starts in mid-February and will last till mid-March
- Agriculture officials call for a joint KP, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh strategy to contain the plague
Chinese giant Hoymiles enters Pakistani market to provide high-tech energy storage solutions
- The development comes after Pakistan emerges as one of world’s fastest-growing solar markets, importing nearly 50GW of solar panels
- Hoymiles entry will address long-hour backup and energy storage challenges facing Pakistan’s growing solar sector, local partner says
KARACHI: Renowned Chinese inverter manufacturer Hoymiles has entered Pakistan to provide high-tech, long-duration energy storage solutions for residential, commercial and industrial buildings by utilizing solar systems for electricity consumption, its Pakistani partner said on Monday.
Over the past few years, a large number of Pakistani industrial, commercial and residential electricity consumers have shifted to solar power systems to address frequent power outages and the rising cost of electricity. Reports indicate that net-metering capacity currently stands at 6,000 megawatts (MWs), while off-grid solar capacity has increased to 12,000 MWs in Pakistan by the end of 2025.
Hoymiles has formed strategic partnerships with Superstar, a renowned name in Pakistan’s automotive industry, and Harisun Energy, a new entrant in the energy solutions sector, to explore the Pakistani market, which is witnessing rapid growth in solar power adoption. In this regard, launch events were held simultaneously in Karachi and Lahore, unveiling multiple storage solutions produced by Hoymiles under the brands of Harisun Energy and Superstar.
Speaking as the chief guest at the Hoymiles launching ceremony in Karachi, Ali Rashid, advisor to Sindh chief minister on science and information technology (IT), said the provincial government appreciates foreign investors, particularly Chinese companies, establishing their industries, assembly, and distribution units in Karachi to meet the demand of the local market as well as export solutions to other countries.
“The government is working rigorously to facilitate foreign investors and companies to enhance their business and commercial activities, mainly in the technology and renewable energy sectors, to improve the living standards of the public and boost economic activity within the country and the province of Sindh,” he said.
The Sindh government is currently collaborating with various Chinese companies across different sectors, including logistics and renewable energy, and it welcomes further cooperation between the private and public sectors, according to Rashid.
The provincial government is considering establishing its own regulatory authority and transmission company, aimed at setting up a separate electricity grid system at the provincial level, which could provide affordable electricity to the masses and enhance connectivity to remote areas, preferably through renewable energy resources.
According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing solar markets, importing approximately 50 GW of solar panels amid falling prices and widespread adoption across sectors in the first half of the year. This surge has made Pakistan the third-largest market for Chinese solar panels, a growth that has attracted global attention.
Superstar Solar Energy and Harisun Energy are introducing Hoymiles’ innovative range of solar inverters, energy storage solutions, and smart energy management systems to the Pakistani market. These solutions are designed to deliver reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy, empowering individuals and businesses to harness solar power as a clean and green energy source.
“Pakistan’s growing solar sector is facing a major challenge related to long-hour backup and energy storage solutions, which will soon be addressed with the entry of a global leader in energy solutions,” said Haris Jamsheed, CEO of Harisun Energy.
“Our partnership with the Chinese company will provide innovative energy storage solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial solar systems, enabling uninterrupted electricity supply at workplaces, factories, and homes during nighttime hours.”
Solarization has continued to expand across the country on a large scale due to prolonged load-shedding in remote areas and the high cost of electricity, which has become unaffordable for many households and industrial units, particularly in recent years.
“We have vowed to bring an energy revolution to Pakistan through innovative storage solutions, as the industrial and commercial sectors can enhance productivity with low-cost electricity backup systems,” said Saleem Umar, Chairman of Superstar.
“Affordable electricity will reduce operational costs at the domestic level, enabling exporters to compete more effectively in global markets.”
