Desert locust is killing agricultural crops in Yemen, inflicting heavy losses on farmers: FAO

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Rome: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported that the livelihoods of farmers in Yemen have been severely affected by the continuous spread of desert locusts, as the agricultural pest has destroyed crops in many areas of the country, which has increased the suffering of thousands of people already exhausted by years of conflict.

In a statement, the FAO said that it supports the Yemeni Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in efforts to combat desert locusts by providing logistical services and training field teams.

According to the FAO, desert locusts have attacked numerous agricultural crops and even date palm, inflicting heavy losses on Yemeni farmers.

The organization stated that Yemen represents a fertile breeding ground for desert locusts, and that controlling their spread is critical in order to prevent a new spread of the pest in the Horn of Africa and Southwest Asia.
FAO noted that it supports desert locust control operations through logistical services, providing nearly 15 thousand liters of pesticides and training 393 field teams on effective control techniques and best health, safety and environmental practices.

The FAO pointed out that it is not possible to reach all areas of Yemen due to the security situation in the country, which gives the locusts time and space to reproduce.

The desert locust is considered one of the most damaging migratory pests in the world, and it can reproduce at a very rapid pace. Every three months, the reproductive cycle can see their numbers grow by about 20 times. Desert locust targets crops and plants that are used as livestock feed. 

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