FOA starts training for Kenyan Youth to combat locusts

As per the plan, an additional 300 trainees will participate in future capacity-building exercises at the NYS college, bringing the total number of monitors added to the Government’s teams to 600. The strategy to combat the locusts includes conducting extensive surveys of terrain to collect data on the state of the habitat and locust populations and using the data to plan control campaigns and make decisions on preventive treatments.

HIGHLIGHTS

• So far, approximately 70 000 hectares of land have already been infested by the locusts.
• Desert locusts can migrate up to 150 km in a day.
• Presently, about 3 million Kenyans are suffering from severe acute food insecurity (October 2019).

United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Tuesday started providing training to 300 National Youth Service (NYS) trainees as part of its action plan to boost the Government of Kenya's surveillance and control of the worst desert locust invasion the country has seen in 70 years.

"The desert locust upsurge represents a direct threat to FAO's mandate to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition. Our current concern is that the first-generation swarms that came in from Ethiopia and Somalia are now breeding, and by the time the eggs hatch it will be planting season, meaning early germination of crops. The hopper bands are the most voracious feeders in the lifecycle of desert locusts, which is why we are urgently increasing ground control," said Tobias Takavarasha, FAO Representative ad interim to Kenya.

According to the reports, the locust swarms have been arriving in alarming numbers in Kenya since December, with new swarms reported to be on the way from Ethiopia and Somalia. Presently, about 17 African counties have been confirmed with desert locust infestations. "The trainees will use hand-held sprays to control the young hoppers before they become flying and breeding adults. FAO trainers are also teaching them essential safety measures for spraying, including how to mix the pesticides and to be mindful of wind direction and whether an area has been cleared of inhabitants first," added the officer. The FAO is providing technical expertise in combating the locust menace and has reportedly deployed a desert locust expert from Morocco to lead the NYS training and augment national efforts.

"Right now, if we do not increase ground surveillance and get the locusts when they are still hopper bands if we allow them to mature and breed, every new generation will increase 20 times in number. Therefore, we think NYS trainees would be excellent for this operation," said Kello Harsame, the Secretary for Administration, who was speaking for the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. The experts have confirmed sightings of newly hatched hopper bands in some parts of eastern and northern Kenya. The normal breeding season for desert locusts is from January to March. Together with the Government of Kenya, FAO has put together a six-month action plan while monitoring the situation, informed Harsame. Presently, organophosphate chemicals are being used to control the locust population. The chemical is sprayed by vehicle-mounted and aerial sprayers fitted into helicopters or planes. Besides the existing centers, authorities are also planning to set up spray centers in Isiolo, Kabarnet, Marsabit, and Wijar.

Role of Climate Change

The experts believe that changing climate conditions have provided a conducive environment for desert locusts to breed and thrive. Kenya had received an above-average rainfall in 2019 followed by localized flooding in the last quarter. This has made the soil in arid and arid and semi-arid areas to become unusually moist. These conditions are considered perfect for locusts. The climate scientists also blame an increase in the frequency and intensity of cyclones in the Indian Ocean in the past three years. Besides, it is argued that in 2018, two cyclones dumped heavy rain on the uninhabited portion of the Arabian Peninsula referred to as Empty Quarter. This is a heaven for locust breeding. These desert locusts fly about 150 km in a day.

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