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NSW locust hatching emergency
30 Jul 2004
An agricultural emergency has been declared in NSW following the release of a map showing a large area of the state's Central West is covered with plague locust egg beds. The map was released last week at the NSW Farmers' Association's annual conference and shows heavy density egg beds between Forbes, Dubbo, Molong, Coonabarabran and Mudgee. DPI defines a heavy density egg bed as one with more than 40 pods a square metre. Some beds this year have more than 110 pods a square metre.
The Department of Primary Industries has extra emergency staff ready to support its monitoring and control efforts to stop the hopper hatchings from turning into a natural disaster. Meetings across the state are being organised to explain to farmers their obligations during the locust outbreak. DPI, Rural Lands Protection Board and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have a big response team, with 12,000 litres of chemical in storage for ground control and 24,000 litres ready for aerial applications.
A hotline will start operating on August 1 for farmers to report outbreaks: 1800 223 367.
The Land, 29/7/04.
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