Agriculture Minister, Vincent Ssempijja confirmed that Cabinet has passed another additional Shs16 billion budget to enable the Ministry and other responsible authorities fight desert locusts.
Ssempijja said the Ministry was running out of cash yet the battle to fight locusts is still on with another swarm expected to invade Uganda soon.
“We have asked and Cabinet has passed an extra Shs16 billion to fight the locusts. A total of Shs9 billion will go to the UPDF for the men on ground and spraying whereas Shs5.6 billion will go for chemicals to spray them,” Ssempijja said at the Uganda Media Centre earlier today.
The Minister said that at least Shs1.2 billion will go to different Local Council leaders of the affected areas to help in the training of more workers.
Before locusts invaded Uganda early this month, Parliament approved Shs15 billion budget to help the Ministry procure fight equipment that included; chemicals, sprayers, drones and aircrafts. Days after invasion, the Ministry asked for an additional budget of Shs7 billion which was also immediately released.
Regardless of efforts, the locust invasion has been reported in over 10 districts in the Northern and Eastern region. However, no serious damage of the vegetation has been sighted.
