East Africa braces for a return of the locusts
(Worthy News) – The first wave of the pests emerged at the end of 2019, numbering in hundreds of billions, multiplying by a factor of 20 per generation, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The second generation in March and April numbered in the trillions. A plague that spread like wildfire — up to now.
“It’s a continuation of the 2020 locusts swarm. The adults have flown to various areas and are laying eggs”, Frances Duncan, Professor of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, told DW. “If we have good rains like it is the case at the moment in most areas, the hoppers will hatch, and we get the second wave of the swarm.”
However, Keith Cressman, FAO’s Senior Locust Forecasting Officer, remains optimistic. “I think it’s still a very dangerous situation. But it should not be worse as it was last year.” According to the weather forecast, the months to come should be dry, reducing the locusts’ reproductive rate. [ Source: Deutche Welle (Read More…) ]