News

Locusts, a threat to crops in Africa

07.06.2012

Croplands in Niger and Mali are at “imminent risk” from desert locust swarms that are moving southward from Algeria and Libya, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on Tuesday. Locust infestations were first reported in southwest Libya near Ghat in January 2012 and in southeast Algeria. Both Algeria and Libya have been working hard to treat infested areas, covering a total of 40,000 hectares in Algeria and 21,000 hectares in Libya as of the end of May. In late March, FAO warned that swarms could arrive in Niger and Mali by June. Continued rains and the resulting growth of vegetation led to the formation of swarms by mid-May. FAO says locust-control efforts in the region are being hindered by continued insecurity along both sides of the Algerian-Libyan border. Political insecurity and conflict in Mali could also hamper monitoring and control efforts if the locusts reach that country. The FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO) has provided USD 300 000 in funding to tackle locust infestations in Libya, and FAO has added an additional USD 400 000 to address the problem.

Photo (c) Hector Garza / Flickr