Authorities deny locust swarm attacks, say detected individual cases

CAIRO – 26 January 2020: A spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture denied any locust swarm attack on Egypt, saying the ministry only detected, through its centers nationwide, some individual cases.

In a telephone interview with Salat al-Tahrir on Sada al-Balad, Mohamed al-Qersh said the ministry has taken precautionary measures since the beginning of winter, as locusts spread in such days due to the fall of rain and the spread of green areas.

The ministry earlier in January denied reports about alleged spread of locust swarms along the Egyptian borders, saying it has a comprehensive plan to confront any possible locust attack, the Cabinet media office reported.

The ministry affirmed declaring a maximum state of emergency as a precaution, and launching daily comprehensive operations in anticipation of any sudden attacks.

The agriculture ministry coordinated with relevant authorities to intensify its field exploration operations, the media office said in its report, saying that the ministry has obtained all equipment and pesticides required to counter locusts, in coordination with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

The ministry also has 55 bases nationwide to counter locusts, including 13 main bases.

Adult locust swarms can fly up to 150 km a day with the wind and adult insects can consume roughly their own weight in fresh food per day. A very small swarm eats as much in one day as about 35,000 people, posing a devastating threat to crops and food security.

Watch a locust swarm attack hitting Africa in January: