APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Desert locusts have hit three zones in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, and the swarm is expanding in north and east wards, the regional administration has announced.
Head of the administration Getachew Reda in a briefing on Monday expressed his concern and called for assistance from the federal government and international organizations.
He said the desert locusts are at an adult age and pose a significant threat to agricultural production in the region.
“Urgent measures need to be taken, particularly in the neighboring Afar regions where the locusts originate,” he said.
Tree locust swarms pose a perilous threat to the already vulnerable agricultural communities in Tigray.and the incident has turned to be devastating since it occurred aftermath of the two-year war and ongoing recovery efforts..
Mebrahtom Gebrekidan, the director of the Pest Control Directorate at the Tigray Region Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources, reported that the desert locusts have spread across various districts in the eastern, southern, and southeastern zones of Tigray.
Gebrekidan said that the locusts have migrated from the nearby Afar region and have heavily affected agricultural productions, including crops and animal fodder, in Tigray.
The federal government has sent survey professionals to the region and implemented some control measures using chemical sprays provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, according to Gebrekidan. “However, more support is required to effectively eliminate the locusts,” he added,
MG/abj/APA