Ministry, Partners Intensify Locust Control Operations

Addis Ababa (ENA) August 1/2020  Ministry of Agriculture and partner organizations have reportedly enhanced ground and aerial control operations against the already dwindling locust infestation and invasion in the country.

Acting Director-General at the ministry, Tamru Kebede told ENA that the information sharing and control operations against the dessert locust have improved and the pest is under control.

According to him, the ministry which has developed prevention and control operations capacity is undertaking effective ground and areal controlling operations using manual and  six spraying aircraft and three surveillance helicopters aerially.

“We are getting sufficient information from the nationwide structures due to the awareness created through training on the locust and international information from partners such as the Desert Locust Control Organization for East Africa (DLCO-EA) and FAO,” Tamru said.

DLCO-EA Senior Information and Forecasting Expert, Felege Elias told ENA that the country’s control operations and information sharing have been enhanced against the dwindling locust infestation and invasion.

 “The controlling operations are now well enhanced. We will continue to reduce the locust invasions in Ethiopia if we persistently continue with these improved controlling works at present,” he said.

The change in wind direction towards the Indian Ocean has reduced the number of swarms entering Ethiopia from Somalia and other similar directions.

Felege noted that Ethiopia's current information sharing technology and the control operations have improved through the use of surveillance helicopters and spraying aircrafts.

The expert pointed out that the information sharing system is very strong now as many technologies are used to share real time information via electronics from anywhere in the country.

According to him, the risk of desert locust invasion from Kenya has also decreased due to the successful controlling operations undertaken in Kenya.

All the regional states of Ethiopia have recently witnessed locusts of different extent except in Benishangul-Gumuz region, it was learned.

Ministry of Agriculture has been undertaking urgent prevention and controlling measures on the proliferation of desert locust in the country since June 2019, mainly in partnership with DLCO-EA and FAO.