ADDIS ABABA – Agricultural experts said that the country is exerting extra endeavor to control desert locust threatening the crop and grazing lands.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, East African Desert Locust Controlling Organization (DLCO-EA) Senior Information and Forecasting Officer, Felege Elias noted that the organization is working on reaching out the swarm spreading areas mobilizing resources.
As to him, efforts are being intensified through equipping trained human resource with machines and pesticides. “We are working to combat the swarm by allocating the needed amount of pesticides. In addition, extra two planes are brought from South Africa to maximize the splashing.” This will enable the nation to undertake the insecticide splashing with four planes, he said.
Last week, the Ministry of Agriculture Plant Protection Director Zebdewos Selato told local media that aircrafts that use to spray insecticide on board have been rented by the ministry to halt the spreading of the locust in Oromia State infested areas including Bale, Guji and Borena among others.
The International Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also issued situational update in 13 January indicating immature swarms continue to form and move in East Harerghe and Somali states specified areas including Jijjiga and Warder, Kebridehar, Gode.
Immature swarms are also present further south in Oromia such as Bale, Borena and Yabello. Some swarms have started to mature in the Gode area, the report indicated. More swarms are expected to appear in the southern parts of Oromia and Somali States and in the southwest of SNNPs where they are likely to mature and lay eggs, according to FAO.
The locust breeding is ongoing and expanding from the north east to south and south west parts of the country, according to Felege. Currently, the swarm is spreading to Oromia, SNNPs and Somali states, he noted.
Moreover, additional swarms are migrating from Somaliland to Ethiopia via Aisha, Kebridehar and other routes, he said. The major problem is the country has suitable weather and vegetation to the breeding of the locust especially in SNNPs and Oromia states, he mentioned.
DLCO-EA is facing shortage of finance in the course of aerial controlling efforts especially for jet fuel, he disclosed. Whereas, the organization is still resisting hindrances and continued preventing the swarms before it causes notable damage, he unveiled.
In December, some 8,410 hectares of land were protected from the swarm by the joint effort of DLCO-EA, MoA and other partners, as to Felege. Out of this, 160, 1,200 and 7,050 hectares of land were sprayed by hand held sprayers, vehicle mounted machines and air controlling mechanisms respectively, he said.
Currently, the organization moves two splashing planes from Afar to SNNPs, he stated. It is not only the ongoing migrating swarm that is affecting the nation, but also the already hatched hoppers in the country are hindering the national controlling efforts, according to him. The swarm that entered to the country in the first round is already moved to Kebridehar and hatched eggs, he pointed out.
On the other hand, the organization prediction indicated that most of the swarm will gather in the southern parts of the country so that it has planned to control it by undertaking a wide range of efforts, as to Felege.
Moreover, the public also aware of the pesticide splashing schedule and its side effects so that it restrain from moving to the lands, he noted. “We will continue the controlling efforts until June as the swarm might elongate its breeding based on our forecast.”
The swarm infestation believed to cause uneasy amount of product loss whereas the national endeavor is yet undertaking to control it, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald, January 28/2020
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
