Ministry Undertaking Desert Locust Prevention Efforts in 3 Regions

Addis Ababa December 29/2020 (ENA) Ministry of Agriculture has been carrying out preventive activities to control locust infestation reported in three regional states.

Desert locust infestation reported in six zones and 26 woredas of Somali region, six zones of Oromia, and Hamer woreda of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region.

Ministry of Agriculture Public Relations Director, Abera Lemma told ENA that efforts are being taken in collaboration with other stakeholders to prevent the spread of desert locust reported on over 134,000 hectares of land of the three regions.

Chemical spraying Planes, motorized sprayer installed on vehicles and manpower has been employed to prevent the desert locus that has invaded over 246,000 hectares of land in Somali region, he added.

The efforts to minimize the damage on crops are continuing even through using traditional ways, it was indicated.

Meanwhile, Abera pointed out that assessment is being taken to prevent the desert locust from spreading to other places.

According to him, the desert locust invasion that occurred from the end of the 2012 Ethiopian budget year to September was successfully contained through collaborative work.