Ethiopia, FAO put in measure to control desert locusts ahead planting season

The Ethiopian Governmentp, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is scaling up aerial and ground operations in Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNP) regions to control desert locusts before the May Belg seasons starts.

FAO Representative, Fatouma Seid said, “We are at a critical stage at which we need to save the next and subsequent harvest and safeguard the livelihood of the population.”

FAO has made an appeal for $138 million to assist eight African countries, of which $50.5 million is for Ethiopia.

So far, it has received $6.5 million for control operations from United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund; Office of United States Foreign Disaster Assistance; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region; and the government of Belgium.

While appreciating the funds received so far and the ongoing negotiations with donors, Ms Seid appealed to partners to close the funding gap.

“If we don’t act swiftly, the resource needs will grow, and it will be more complicated and expensive to contain te situation.”

She said efforts needed to be made to boost local capacities in areas where the desert locusts are found.

“The teams are working tirelessly to control the locusts. However, as locusts are highly mobile, we need to quickly boost local capacities sin areas where they go. Currently, we are mobilizing and training communities in SNNP regions and ensuring that the required resources are available to respond to the Invasion,” she added.

The locust invasion has caused disastrous effects of crops in the past and farmers are worried about a continued invasion.

One of the farmers in Dereba Village in the SNNP region who experience a firsthand disastrous effects said, “Two massive swarms landed in our area and destroyed my entire maize crop. Although they were later controlled, more warms are coming from Kenya. I fear for the next cropping season.”