Locust threat still 'serious'

2004-04-27 13:28

Rome - Swarms of locusts that began devouring crops in northwest Africa last autumn continue to pose an "extremely serious" threat to crops in the region, the United Nations said on Tuesday in appealing for more donations to combat the problem.

Locusts are currently threatening crops in northern Mauritania, Niger, Morocco and Algeria - creating the most serious locust problem in the region in a decade, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a statement.

In Morocco alone, as much as US$400m in citrus crops exported to Europe and the United States are at risk, the Rome-based agency said. Other crops that have been affected in the region are date palm, cereal and vegetation crops.

The current situation has not yet become a plague, which would occur if locusts infested countries from Mauritania to India, said Keith Cressman, an agency forecasting officer. However, he said preventive measures must be taken immediately to keep the problem from growing worse.

While dry weather and winds can help to destroy locusts, pesticides and insecticides must also be used to save crops from the swarms, Cressman said in a phone interview.

Heavy rains last summer and fall contributed to a large number of desert locusts in the region, he said.

"Once the locust numbers increase, there's not enough food in the desert," he said. So the locusts move to more lush areas in search of more food. "Locusts eat everything," Cressman said. "They're omnivorous."

Since October of last year, more than $17m has been spent to control locust populations in Africa, according to the FAO. Most of this money has come from the affected countries.

The European Commission, Italy, Norway, Spain and the United States have also contributed about $5m. However, the FAO said that an addition $17m is needed to control the current problem.

It took several years and more than $300m to bring the desert locust plague of 1987-89 to an end.

- AP