In its continued efforts to help Afghanistan, India has supplied 40,000 litres of Malathion, a pesticide used to fight locust menace, through the Chabahar port.
The Taliban-controlled Ministry of Agriculture has expressed gratitude for this assistance, highlighting its significance in protecting crops and ensuring food security in Afghanistan.
Malathion, known for its efficacy in arid regions and minimal water usage, is considered a crucial tool in locust control. The aid not only addresses the immediate threat in Afghanistan but also serves to prevent the spread of locusts to neighbouring Central Asian countries.
40,000 liters of malathion donated by the people of India arrived in Kabul through Iran's Chabahar port. The total value of these mulches reaches about 40 million Afghanis and covers about 80,000 hectares of land and is used in the campaign against locusts if necessary. pic.twitter.com/ZdqqFDCF43
— Ministry of Agriculture-Afghanistan (@MAIL_AF) January 22, 2024
“Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation & Livestock of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is grateful of the Government of the Republic of India and its people for supplying 40,000 liters of chemical material (Malathion) in the agriculture sector, to prevent the locusts menace, that the mentioned assistance arrived today through Chabahar port,” the Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said.
The assistance not only helps prevent locusts in Afghanistan but also prevents locusts from Central Asian countries, especially Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and is effective on crops in the region.
The 40,000 litres of malathion pesticide was supplied in two trucks and officially handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan Government.
The ministry statement read, “Agriculture and livestock are inclusive sectors of humanity, whose benefits and harms are the same for everyone. Afghanistan is a war-torn and backward country, and any country that assists us in the field of disease prevention, research, promotion of mechanisation, and marketing of agriculture and livestock sectors is considered to be cooperating with humanity.
Locusts are voracious in nature and are known for their vegetation-destroying abilities, and their large-scale presence may potentially threaten food security.
The locust menace was at its worst in neighbouring Pakistan in early 2020, when the country declared a national emergency.
At the same time, India, too, witnessed a large-scale locust incursion in several States, such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, some parts of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
(with inputs from ANI)
