A handful of locusts in county Magwi, South Sudan. Photo: WFP/Peter Louis

Farmers in Renk County of Upper Nile State have asked the government and international organizations to help control locusts that have invaded their farms.

Thon Simon, who is one of the farmers, warns they risk poor harvest as a result of the outbreak.

Simon spoke to Eye radio in an exclusive interview this morning from Renk town.

“The locusts come in a huge move. It’s the same exactly like the locust that appeared in Magwi last year is the same as what is happening in Renk,” said Simon.

“The locusts are moving from one area to another area, and this may destroy between 20 to 50,000 hectares and if there will be no rescue soon, this will lead to loss of over 400,000 tons of dura this year”.

According to Simon, farmers there have cultivated 450,000 acres of land with mostly millet and sorghum.

He is now calling on the national government and aid agencies to intervene with insecticide to combat the locusts.

“We are calling on the concerned institutions, the ministry of agriculture, UN, and FAO any possible action to rescue the situation otherwise the farmers will lose the crops and there will be no harvest this year”.  Simon said.

This comes a month after the area commissioner had reported the invasion by birds of dozens of farms.