- Ministry turns to aerial spraying after ground efforts fail in difficult terrain
The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has dispatched a specialised pest control team to the Okavango District to combat a locust outbreak that continues to threaten regional food security and livelihoods.
The infestation, which surfaced last November, has devastated fields in Moporota and Kadangasa. Local farmers report that the pests have decimated crops, sparking fears of total income loss and long-term food shortages.
In a shift in strategy, the Ministry has deployed drones to conduct aerial pesticide spraying over 1,000 hectares of farmland and grasslands. The operation is expected to take seven days.
Chief Crop Production Officer Kene Kebalepile admitted that initial ground interventions were ineffective.
“We tried to use vehicles to spray, but they kept breaking down and could not effectively access the fields due to the difficult terrain,” Kebalepile said. “We sought assistance from our headquarters in Gaborone for a drone, and our request was granted.”
The use of drones allows the team to treat cultivated fields precisely without the mechanical damage caused by heavy vehicles. Ground teams will now pivot to focus on the surrounding open grasslands. For local farmers, the aerial intervention offers a final sliver of hope. Phemelo Ditando, one of the affected farmers, described the destruction as absolute.
“There is no food left in our fields; the locusts have finished everything,” Ditando said. “When we first raised the alarm, the pests were small. Now they have grown and are far more destructive.”
While expressing gratitude for the Ministry’s response, Ditando noted that the delay in intervention allowed the swarm to reach its current peak.
Authorities have urged farmers to cooperate fully with the pest control teams to ensure the operation’s success. For the communities of Moporota and Kadangasa, the outcome of this seven-day mission will determine if any of this season’s harvest can be salvaged.
