Ahmed Al-Leithi: No more swarms of locusts in Egypt

Egypt's Agriculture Minister Ahmed al-Leithi denied fresh swarms of locusts are attacking Egypt, noting the ministry received no reports on further locusts that flew on their way to the African coasts.

Speaking during a People's Assembly session in reply to a number of parliamentary questions on locusts, the minister said: "If climatic conditions are okay, we won't see more locusts attacking Egypt."

He said that when the month of November ends, the possibility of locusts' presence in Egypt is nil.

Leithi said that the locusts that attacked Cairo on Wednesday were only thousands in number that pose no threat to citizens or plantations.

He dismissed reports that anti-locusts workers were given the sack, adding there are about 125 people working in the field of combating locusts.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Leithi had received a phone call from President Mubarak.

Following the contact, Leithi said that Mubarak was personally following up the developments on locusts and getting assured on the steps taken by the ministry to combat the swarms.