Nightmare grasshoppers, 160,000 hectares already invaded: "If they start flying, it's the end"

The nightmare of grasshoppers returns to the Nuoro area. Tonino Siotto, a farmer from Ollolai who has been on his knees for four years due to the invasion of insects, talks about it in despair.

«My land (a 150-hectare pasture in Olzai, ed) is already invaded by newborn grasshoppers, 20 days ago I reported the hatching but there are no new means to intervene . If the Region does not mobilize them within 15 days, it will be a catastrophe here ».

This year's infection promises to be of devastating proportions, much more than last year's which already caused a real catastrophe: « Forestas' men tell us that 160,000 hectares of more than 26 villages in the plain of Ottana, last year there were 60 thousand . And let's talk about grasshoppers that still don't fly, if we don't intervene immediately, they will arrive in mountain villages and also in our cities in June ».

The farmer launches a desperate appeal to the Region, the task force directed by Laore is insufficient with its 200 men and dozens of means: « Few people and unsuitable means, also because not all the land here is practicable with ordinary means . We must immediately deploy all the four-wheel drive Forestas vehicles that arrive everywhere, crossing streams and stony ground and sign agreements with private individuals who can travel to all corners of our companies and spread the pesticide. But it is urgent that the team is upgraded quickly, because if the grasshoppers get to fly, we are lost ».

As we said, Tonino Sollai has been on his knees for 4 years: «I have my natural pasture on these lands and in July I can count on hay, but for years I've been forced to buy feed because the grasshoppers kill everything. These are unsustainable figures: we are on our knees and have not seen a euro of refreshments ».

Furthermore, those who have to intervene «never do it in time, neither with plowing in autumn when the phenomenon is best eradicated, nor with disinfestation during hatching». Sollai interprets the state of mind of many farmers "very angry, because it is not possible to continue like this".

« Needless to promise, apps that report hatchings are useless if you don't have teams to get to the land. Without a rapid reorganization of men and equipment, it's the end ."

(Unioneonline/L)