Egypt prepares for locust swarms

Egypt is taking pre-emptive measures to prevent desert locust swarms from entering the country, local media reported.

The Ministry of Agriculture said that committees affiliated with the ministry’s Central Administration on Locusts are working in the border areas in the southern and eastern deserts, the Red Sea coast, the southwestern desert and the north-west.

The ministry added that its committees have SUVs to enable them to work in valleys and rugged places in the border areas. Other supplies provided to them include pesticides. The teams include agricultural engineers, drivers and trained workers.

These committees will be on alert throughout the year and will be working in a state of emergency in September ahead of the desert locust winter breeding season and migration, the reports said. The season lasts from October to April every year and the ministry’s committees are tasked to start to monitor the situation in September taking into account the environmental conditions, humidity and rainfall.

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