DEADLY WAVE OF LOCUSTS

The United Nation agency on Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that East Africa and Horn of Africa will soon experience a deadly wave of locust invasion.

FAO this month warned that the deadliest attack by these locusts will be witnessed in early December. According to FAO that’s when the immature ones will have formed.

According to the organization, the locusts are currently breeding in Ethiopia and some parts of Somalia. FAO has assured farmers that it has commenced control operations.

The locusts are rapidly breeding in Ethiopia because of the favourable summer rains that were experienced in October.

While some were able to be controlled, others flew to Eritrea, Rift Valley and some to Somalia.

According to FAO, there is possibility the huige swarm will continue with the journey along the Red Sea coastal plains thus need for emergency operation ahead of winter breeding.

Kenya has undertaken measures to control locusts. In March 2020, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture said Ksh 230 million had already been spent in eradicating locusts from the country.

The ministry through CS Munya said that by June 2020, locust would have been completely eradicated in the country. He said this as he revealed the government was going to use extra Ksh 300 Million to fight the locusts.

On March, the government had downplayed the gravity of the situation.

“We have not yet reached the stage of declaring a national disaster. This is an extreme measure usually taken to attract funding to deal with a particular problem and we already have this funding,” Munya said on March 13,2020.

It remains to be seen whether the government will take this recent warning from FAO.