The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture continues its efforts to combat desert locust attack in all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry said.
17,296 hectares of locust infestations have been treated by the Ministry's locust control teams, while 171,770 ha have been surveyed during the second half of December in different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to the Ministry.
The Ministry warned that the desert locust situation is a serious threat, as locust breeding continues in the southwestern coast of the Kingdom between Makkah and Jazan.
Locust swarms are threatening all areas of the Kingdom which are in the winter-spring breeding zone. Further swarms expected to arrive in the Kingdom from Sudan and Yemen in the spring season, as the teams were able to observe and monitor the locust swarms in the central regions of the Kingdom., said the Ministry.
The Ministry pointed out that the general situation required further monitoring and intensive control operation in the winter breeding areas.
The Ministry called on all beekeepers and livestock keepers to cooperate with the desert locust control teams and leave immediately when required. It also urged all citizens to Immediately report to the Ministry when observing locust swarms to eliminate the infestations in a timely manner.
The Ministry said that further locust swarms are expected to cross the Kingdom from Africa and Yemen, and that based on the FAO's desert locust bulletin last December, the situation in Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia deteriorates as locust swarms increase. It is also expected that the spring breeding will start earlier than normal this year, in February, the Ministry added.
The Ministry continues to implement the Locusts Control and Migratory Pests Center's winter season plan for 2019. The Center carries out survey and control operations against locusts and migratory pests to stop the invasion of locusts, protect agricultural areas in the Kingdom and to prevent locust swarms from invading the neighboring countries.