The previous two locust attacks exposed the inability of provincial governments to cope with such like natural calamity. The infestations destroyed standing cereal crops, sugarcane plantations, vegetables and fruits over vast areas in 54 districts of the country. The third locust attack is expected next month during the upcoming monsoon season, posing threat to Kharif crops of cotton and Rice. The locust swarms will land in Southern Punjab and Sindh at times when cotton crops will be blooming in flowers. The meager budget allocations of federal and provincial governments exclude funding for crops protection measures. The federal government has set aside Rs.10 billion for development projects in agriculture sector; the government of Punjab has earmarked Rs.31.73 billion; Sind has set aside Rs.14 billion; and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa has allocated Rs.4.76 billion. The insufficient allocations explain the apathy shown to the leading sector that contributes 20 of gross domestic product and provides employment to 50 percent workforce, in addition to providing support to textile industry and agro-based industries. The Economic Survey tells that in the prevailing global economy downswing and acute recessionary cycle of national economy, agriculture sector performed unexpectedly well by posting 2.67 growth, whereas manufacturing and service sectors registered a negative growth. The bailout performance of agriculture serves a lesson for future planning and development, if the ruling political leadership shows seriousness about turning around the economy for putting it back on the path to take off stage. Since late 1980s, crops protection has been dropped out of priorities of agriculture development. After winding up of Agriculture Ministry under 18th Amendment, it was entirely then the responsibility of provincial governments to have kept in place strategies of crops protection, as Ministry of National Food Security has limited role. Till early 1980s, Plants Protection Department of Punjab alone had 20 aircrafts for aerial spray which has now only one aircraft. It for the PML-N leadership, who ruled the province for 30 years and PML-Q leaders, who ruled it for five years in good times to tell about the reduction of 19 aircrafts in the fleet of Plant Protection Department. Currently, federal government has leased out one aircraft to the province of Sindh against the actual requirement of 10 aircrafts; other provinces have not a single aircraft for aerial spray. Shezad Ali Malik, Chief Executive Officer, Guard Agriculture Research and Services Private Limited, has urged the federal government for acquiring the required number of aircrafts on lease from other countries or ask Pak Army to carry out crops protection operation in view of imminent locust attack. The preliminary estimate on the damage to the Rabi crops in the current fiscal year is valued at $6.6 billion. The plantation of Kharif crops such as rice, maize, cotton and various vegetable has been started.
