Lavender producers are having trouble with locusts

The increasing locust population in the Feke district of Adana has frustrated lavender producers. Due to the effective rainfall in the region, farmers noted that agricultural spraying did not help, and they are troubled by locusts that surround their gardens and harm the lavender plants. The locust population has been increasing for the past 2 years, and last year, a producer named Yucel Yavuz expressed that they could not harvest at all due to the locusts, and this year, at the beginning of the season, hundreds of locusts in the garden damaged the lavender plants. Yavuz stated that despite spraying in the garden, the rain rendered the pesticides ineffective, and he had to combat hundreds of locusts in his 7-acre lavender field. Yavuz mentioned that there is no lavender left for harvesting, saying, ‘We planted lavender on a 6-acre land 5 years ago. We have been having problems with locusts for 2 years now. We see more locusts than lavender. They are picking the newly sprouting lavenders. We are at a loss of what to do. I spray pesticides all day long, but when it rains, we have to spray again, I am tired. Locusts are everywhere and in large numbers.’ Emine Yavuz, who also owns a lavender garden in the same region, said, ‘I planted lavender on a 5-acre land. I had the garden maintained, weeds were removed, and spraying was done, but we cannot cope. There are thousands of locusts.’ Another producer, Sevim Aksoy, stated that they are struggling with spraying, saying, ‘We observe an excessive amount of locusts; it is impossible to cope. They do not allow the lavender to bloom.’ The Kozan District Agriculture Directorate mentioned that support with pesticides is provided to regions with increasing locust populations and that spraying is carried out. They emphasized that individuals who own vineyards and gardens need to purchase pesticides from agricultural pesticide dealers to carry out spraying. It was also noted that field surveys were conducted in the lavender gardens in the Tapan region where locusts were seen regionally, aiming to prevent the increase in population.