Government grabs pest threat by the horns

IN a bold move to safeguard national food security, the government has grabbed the pest threat by the horns investing billion shillings in a state-of-the-art aircraft designed specifically for combating crop-destroying pests from the air.

The newly acquired 6.0bn/- Thrush 510P2+ aircraft marks a significant step in the country’s fight against destructive pests such as locusts, red-billed quelea and army worms, which have long plagued farmers and devastated key staples like rice, maize and millet.

The plane is equipped for rapid, large-scale aerial spraying, allowing authorities to respond swiftly to outbreaks before they spiral out of control. Agriculture remains the backbone of Tanzania’s economy, providing livelihoods for the majority and ensuring food supply for millions.

Yet pest invasions continue to undermine harvests and threaten rural incomes. With the new aircraft in place, experts hope the government can enhance early warning systems, protect more farmland and reduce dependence on emergency interventions.

The Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) Director General, Prof Joseph Ndunguru, said that during a single dry season alone, approximately 40 district councils are annually assaulted by nearly 200 million locusts, with the potential to destroy up to 450,000 tonnes of grains.

“Outbreaks of destructive quelea birds occur every farming season, especially during the dry season in areas practicing irrigated agriculture, particularly in rice cultivation,” Prof Ndunguru told the Daily News.

The vulnerable areas are Mbarali and Kapunga in Mbeya region, Igunga in Tabora, Singida, Magu in Mwanza, Simiyu, Manyara, Kondoa in Dodoma, Mvomero and Kilosa in Morogoro significantly enhancing protection of their crops and livelihoods.

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These invasions result not only in massive crop losses but also force farmers to spend countless hours manually chasing away the pests’ time that could otherwise be used for other economic activities.

Moreover, this disruption affects children’s schooling and overall community well-being. However, the initiative, spearheaded by the TPHPA, aims to safeguard national food security while enabling farmers to increase yields and incomes. Prof Ndunguru said that historically the country relied on aircraft provided by the Kenyabased Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa to manage locust outbreaks.

“Hiring from Kenya proved costly not only in monetary terms, but also logistically, as the aircraft was often unavailable due to demand from multiple countries,” Prof Ndunguru said. He said the deployment of the aircraft will now be done in real time, “since it’s ours and it’s just a matter of issuing instructions”. The aircraft has a fuel capacity of 863 litres, allowing for approximately four hours of continuous flight. Its chemical tank holds up to 1,930 litres, enabling it to treat an impressive 2,400 acres in a single mission.

Prof Ndunguru said that with advanced radio and monitoring systems, the aircraft can accurately detect pest-infested areas and generate precise spray plans. This level of precision enhances the effectiveness of pest control, reducing crop losses while minimising environmental impact.

Prof Ndunguru further said beyond pest control the aircraft can also be deployed to extinguish large-scale fires, making it a versatile asset in managing agricultural and natural disasters.

Tanzania faces threats from three major locust species: the Red Locust, Desert Locust and Tree Locust. The primary breeding grounds for the Red Locust alone span approximately 8,000 square kilometres (about 1.98 million acres) across key ecological zones such as the Wembele and Malagarasi Valleys, the IkuKatavi Wetlands, Bahi Swamp and Rukwa Valley.

“The newly acquired aircraft will play a vital role in both surveillance and control operations across these high-risk regions,” he said.

To ensure the country achieves food security and completely eliminates crop pests, Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe, during the reception of the new aircraft, directed TPHPA to immediately begin the procurement of three additional aircraft and a fleet of drones to support aerial agricultural operations across the country.

Bashe said the procurement process should start immediately saying that the budget for 2025/26 has already been approved and there should be no delays.

“We must start the process immediately,” said Mr Bashe. The plan includes the establishment of aerial agriculture centres in Arusha, Dodoma, Mbeya and Mwanza, each equipped with modern infrastructure, laboratories and technology.

In last two years TPHPA controlled rats in 16 regions, 54 districts and 540 wards, saving 358,895 acres of maize and other crops.

Also, over 200 million quelea birds were eradicated in 18 councils, protecting 220,163 hectares of farmland and 1,463 metric tonnes of crops. TPHPA also addressed army worm outbreaks across 83,180 hectares, saving 332,732 metric tonnes of cereal crops.

In Dodoma and Singida, red locusts were controlled on over 800 acres. TPHPA plans to have a fleet of four airplanes that combating quelea in next fiscal year and reduce reliance on leased aircraft from Kenya. Already it has a single plane.