Moroccan official rules out risk of new locust invasion

Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Mohand Laenser, ruled out the risk of a new locust invasion in Morocco next fall.

"We have indicators that there would be a calm period and we are not expecting major invasions of locusts ," he told MAP bureau in Dakar where he took part in the ministerial coordination meeting between North and Western African countries on locusts.

The minister urged, however, for vigilance and for continued mobilization.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that during April, only very limited breeding occurred in northwestern Africa. "Although swarms are not expected to form in northwest Africa nor invade the Sahel this year, it is recommended that intense survey operations be maintained in all affected countries and control be undertaken whenever necessary in the coming months."

The FAO forecasts that for Morocco "small-scale breeding will continue on a limited basis in the northeast region where hoppers are expected to fledge in late May and, if not detected or controlled, form at most a few small groups in early June."

The Moroccan official also noted that Morocco spent between US$ 70 and 80 million in the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 hopper invasions. The international community has contributed about 15% of this budget, he said.

He also played down harms caused to agriculture by the locust invasions and noted that Morocco, which is aware that control cannot be undertaken locally but is only efficient if its undertaken in the breeding areas, has dispatched thousands of litters of pesticides to Senegal, Mauritania and Niger.

According to the FAO, some 13 million hectares were sprayed with pesticides and 16 million litters of the product were used in north and west African countries, for an estimated cost of US$ 315 million.