2004-8-2
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture
Report.
An invasion of locusts from
Northwest Africa continues to affect several countries. The United
Nations said the number of insects invading crop areas in Mali,
Mauritania and Senegal increased in the past two weeks. Locusts have
also entered Niger. And the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization
warned last week that locusts could reach Burkina Faso as well.
But the F.A.O. said there were signs of improvement in other
areas. Intensive operations to control the locusts began in
Northwest Africa in February.
The huge movement of locusts started in Algeria and Morocco.
Young locusts began to leave their native territory to search for
new places to mate and lay eggs. This migration can cover hundreds
or even thousands of kilometers.
Winds can help the flying insects travel long distances. In July,
some desert locusts from North Africa arrived on the Cape Verde
Islands. The islands are five hundred kilometers from the coast of
Africa.
During migrations, locusts eat huge amounts of food. The Food and
Agriculture Organization says locusts eat their own weight in food
every day. One locust weighs only about two grams. But one ton of
locusts can eat about as much food as two thousand five hundred
people.
Several countries have asked for aid to control the locusts. So
far, there have been international promises of nine million dollars
in emergency assistance. Officials from nine countries organized a
meeting last week in Algiers to discuss ways to deal with the
crisis.
Algeria and Morocco have used chemical poisons. The two countries
have treated more than one million five hundred thousand hectares.
But good weather conditions have helped the spread of locusts to the
south.
Chemicals can be used to kill existing groups of insects. But
most of these insecticides are very poisonous and should be kept
away from places were farm animals may feed.
By the middle of July, there was a decrease reported in the
number of hectares treated in Morocco and Libya. The F.A.O. said
this suggests that the situation should become calm in the area in
the next few weeks.
Experts say it is important to treat a locust outbreak quickly.
After an outbreak, farmers can turn the soil in their fields in late
autumn. This can help to destroy some locust eggs.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario
Ritter. This is Steve Ember.