Dar Es Salaam, Nov 29 (IANS): The government of Tanzania has set aside 3 billion Tanzanian shillings (about $1.3 million) for buying a spray plane to fight invasions of locusts, the Minister for Agriculture, Adolf Mkenda, has said.

Mkenda told a press conference in the capital Dodoma that the government has decided to buy the spray plane to fight the locusts that have been invading the country from time to time, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said although Tanzania got support from the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa and the International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa during locusts' invasions, buying its own spray plane could reinforce the fight against the destructive pests.

"When locusts invade our country we request for spray planes from these organisations but acquiring our own spray plane will boost the fight against the locusts," the Minister added.

Mkenda said the buying of the spray plane will go in tandem with strengthening of the agricultural aerial spraying unit.

In February 2021, swarms of locusts invaded in Monduli, Longido, Simanjiro, Siha and Mwanga in northern Tanzania but they were wiped out before they inflicted damage on farm crops.