This comes after three provinces, namely the Northern-, Eastern- and Western Cape, recently reported outbreaks of brown locusts. 

OFM News spoke to Mafa Mokoaqo from the Free State Department of Agriculture about the outbreak in the province.

See PODCAST below

He asserts that the department is doing everything they can to contain the spread of the locusts. However, the spread of the swarms from the Northern Cape province has increased speedily. "On the 1st of December, the first swarms arrived through Colesberg and then they started settling around Springfontein, Edenburg, Dewetsdorp [and] we managed to control them," mentions Mokoaqo.

He adds that the swarms had started infesting most of the southern parts of the Free State and that the help of manpower from Hopetown and surrounding towns enabled them to contain most of the infestation.

Once all the swarms are contained, the outbreaks have been slowed down. However, the swarms that managed to break away leads to further infestations and outbreaks, adds Mokoaqo.

He says that the direction, speed and time of the wind also play a huge role in the spread of brown locusts from the Northern Cape.

"The problem also emanates from private farms or game reserves. They don't allow us to get into their farms to control [the swarms] so they will just lay eggs there and then they will hatch and then they will start flying," he says.

He concludes by urging all farmers to join the WhatsApp groups that they have created and to contact either himself or Zimasa Leputla, spokesperson for the provincial agriculture department, should farmers spot locusts on their farms.

OFM News/Lee Simmons