In the Wachile region of Ethiopia, locust swarms forced more than 15,000 people to evacuate their homes in May. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), says favorable climatic conditions since the beginning of the year have allowed widespread breeding of the pest in East Africa, Southwest Asia and the area around the Red Sea. “It only takes 30 seconds for a swarm to eat an entire field.”. But the Kenyan government says it needs 20 planes for spraying â and a continuous supply of the pesticide Fenitrothion. “Urgent efforts must be made to stop them from increasing to protect the livelihoods of farmers and livestock holders.”. These trials are being conducted in collaboration with the State Agricultural Universities in Rajasthan to generate data on effective locust control. âApocalypticâ LOCUST plague swarms Africa as trillions of Biblical bugs risk causing mass famine Charlotte Edwards , Digital Technology and Science Reporter 3 Jul 2020, 12:32 This apocalyptic image is not a bad dream, but the current reality: A worldwide locust upsurge is hitting countries around the globe with East Africa and the Horn of Africa seeing the worst outbreak in decades – destroying hectares of farmland and putting millions at risk of hunger and famine. Multiple swarms have been appearing across the Horn of Africa over recent weeks, some as big as 25 miles in diameter. ... Top Gazette stories of 2020 From COVID to racial reckoning, caffeine to life along the Charles. Photo: Sophie Mbugua. In the darkness, the vicious predators feast on anything green, and within hours, any vegetation in its path is gone. An integrated strategy is needed that invests in and incorporates all available tools in the toolbox, from better forecasting and monitoring technologies to the controlled spraying of chemical and biological crop protection products. Source: FAO. But when they invade, they descend as an army of billions. Insecticides are not readily available for us, and most farmers are not guided on which ones to use as some were not effective at all. ... and executive director of the Mpala Research Centre in northern Kenya, which is working to sequence the locust genome. 2, 2020 Albert Camus helps us understand our responses during this crisis Apr. Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. The current locust crisis shows that crop protection and innovations in agriculture have been—and will continue to be—crucial to help ensure food security, global prosperity and a sustainable future. Fri 20 Mar 2020 03.00 EDT. Kenyans farmers and herders have dealt with insect swarms before, but this is the worst infestation in 70 years. Kenya and Uganda were identified as priority countries, and the product was shipped to the Ugandan and Kenyan government to deliver it where it is needed most. I wish I had effective pesticides to combat the locusts.” He is not alone, farmers in the affected regions are desperate for supplies and training, as Muchenge shares: Insufficient equipment and funding have been further exacerbated by the global travel and import restrictions taken to curb the spread of COVID-19, which have resulted in disruptions to supply chains, delaying delivery of product supplies, surveillance equipment and global awareness. One tonne of locusts alone (about 500,000 insects) – a fraction of an average swarm – eats about as much food in one day as 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2,500 people, destroying at least 200 tonnes of vegetation per day. We need to be equipped with the right insecticides to fight the locusts. The locust crisis that has now reached 10 countries could carry on to endanger millions more ⦠They are unpredictable. The plague continued and both governors were replaced. Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website. The year 2020 has been such a disaster, it will likely take some time to figure out what made it such a train wreck. First there were the fires, then the plague (read: global pandemic), and jus There are over 30 million known species of insects, both beneficial and destructive. A Living Nightmare: Defeating the Locust Plague of 2020. KAMPALA, Uganda â Weeks before the coronavirus spread through much of the world, parts of Africa were already threatened by another kind of plague, the biggest locust ⦠There is no real warning. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, farmers in some of the world’s most impoverished regions are fighting to stop locusts from decimating vital crops and grazing pastures and leaving vast populations food insecure. Without immediate action, in East Africa 4.9 million people could face starvation this summer. Now look at this plague invading an airport on the Abadan Island in southwest Iran: Jean sees the insecticides as “essential for crop protection so that we are able to have adequate crop for sale to the market. 355 Lexington Ave, 16th Floor New York, NY, 10017, 332 South Michigan Avenue, 9th floor Chicago, IL 60604, 10586 W. Pico Blvd., #139 Los Angeles, CA 90064, Concern works with tens of thousands of farming and pastoralist families across the region and our teams are working to support them through the crisis. Oxfam estimates that thanks to droughts and areas of severe floods, 25.5 million people in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda already suffer from hunger and severe malnourishment. 3, 2020 StarTribune. A crazy video of locusts swarming in Iran, because 2020 somehow keeps getting worse. ... With that, the likelihood of further locust outbreaks grows. Undeniably, 2020 has had a bit of an âend of the worldâ kind of vibe about it. Beneficial insects like honey bees, lady bugs and monarch butterflies are beneficial to our ecosystem by pollinating (bees and monarchs) or being predatory (lady bugs) by eating harmful insects. “It only takes 30 seconds for a swarm to eat an entire field.”. Keith Cressman, FAO Senior Locust Forecasting Officer, notes the necessity of leveraging the expertise of collaborators and investing in technology like data science: “We’re already partnering with NASA, with NOAA, with the European Space Agency, with Cambridge University…all of these different entities have their own expertise.” Mobile surveillance applications are already showing promise in getting real time local reports to better inform where airplanes should spray. Notable recent infestations include the outbreaks of 2003-05 in West Africa, 2013 in Madagascar, 2015 in Russia, 2016 in Argentina and 2019 in the Italian islands of Sardinia. The outbreak is the worst in 70 years in Kenya and the worst in 25 years in Ethiopia, Somalia and India. Pakistani officials say an outbreak of desert locusts is spreading across the country, posing a threat to food security. Multiple swarms have been appearing across the Horn of Africa over recent weeks, some as big as 25 miles in diameter. According to the FAO, aerial control is the only effective means to reduce the locust numbers, and spraying operations have been scaled up in response. Without broad-scale action to control the locusts, damages and losses could reach US$8.5 billion by the end of 2020, leading to widespread famine, disease and increased poverty. With our distinctive knowledge of people, animals and plants, we focus on the areas of health care and nutrition. Do you have any queries or comments about our website, our products or any of our services? In response to the outbreak of desert locusts in East Africa, the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will be providing $8 million in humanitarian assistance to support regional operations to control locusts in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Kenya, and the Federal Republic of Somalia. One of the greatest challenges we experienced is that our traditional methods of fighting such insects was not effective. I fear for my family and my community. â WFP_Ethiopia (@WFP_Ethiopia) December 17, 2020. Investing in a stronger future - for our shareholders, and for the world. Muchenge speaks to the crisis faced by farmers in his region: “What do you do when you work so hard to cultivate your crops and then something that you had never anticipated, something that is beyond your control happens and destroys your crop which essentially means livelihood to you and your family?...This is very devastating.” The fear of food insecurity also hits home for Ugandan farmer Kaahwa Jean: “I fear for farmers incurring losses and food insecurity. In addition, proper training is critical to ensure the right protection is applied in the right amount, in the right place and at the right time. Recent locust activity across East Africa and parts of Asia. India is one of the first countries to approve the use of drones for locust control, and Bayer is partnering with multiple drone technology providers for locust control activities in Rajasthan, one of the worst-affected states. Then the rivers will sink all the boats. The most destructive locust species is the desert locust. According to regional authorities, the damage is estimated at over 13 million US dollars. Our scientific successes are intended to help improve people’s lives. Locust plague risk map 2020. The goals for development and humanitarian organizations are to work ourselves out of a job. A plague of locusts has descended on East Africa, devouring crops, trees, and pasture as they move. Did you know that insects represent the largest biomass on earth? Similar locust swarms in Ethiopia are the worst the country has seen in 25 years, with an estimated 235,000 hectares of crop, pasture, and forest invaded by the infestation so far. This in a time, where COVID-19 already puts pressure on food systems in countries where economies are highly dependent on agriculture. In parts of Asia and east Africa, swarms of locusts have stripped fields. This area provides news, videos and publications, as well as overviews of social media channels and mobile apps of the Bayer Group. The largest plague in U.S. history was recorded in 1875 when a swarm of trillions of the now extinct “Rocky Mountain Locusts” measuring 1,800 miles long and 110 miles wide flew over the Midwest. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says if the trajectory continues, the locust upsurge can threaten the livelihoods of 10% of the world's population. And experts warn that it could get much worse. consuming as much food in one day as 35,000 people. In late January, what seemed like a vast dark cloud approached Lawrence Mwagireâs farm in Njoga village in central Kenya. Currently, Ethiopia was using five and Kenya six for spraying and four for surveying. Each can consume 2g of vegetation every day â combined, a swarm of 80 million can consume food equivalent to that eaten by 35,000 people a ⦠Read more about our economic, ecological and social challenges and opportunities. I N SOME PARTS of the world, covid-19 is not the only plague that 2020 has brought. The plague will encompass all the land â and will eventually spread to the whole world. We are conducting cash transfers in order to help affected communities survive,” says Kirk Prichard, Concern US Vice President of Programs. Crop Science has businesses in seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. Locust map by FAO. Without broad-scale action to control the locusts, damages and losses could reach US$8.5 billion by the end of 2020, leading to widespread famine, disease and increased poverty. While only a fraction, approximately 600 species, are categorized as destructive insects, if left unchecked, the pests could destroy 30-60% of crop harvests. The combination of crises from wars to the burgeoning locust plague could result in as many as 300,000 deaths a day from starvation by the end of the year, he said. The Desert Locust is considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world, with a “small” swarm (less than a mile in diameter) consuming as much food in one day as 35,000 people. Drones are used today in some parts of the world for seeding, fertilization and crop protection. Adults have a voracious appetite and can eat their own weight daily. But how do we get ahead of potential outbreaks? Unless we end with a global nuclear war, the coronavirus and the financial meltdown will dominate how people are remembering this year. The insatiable pests consumed nearly 400,000 tons of food every 24 hours– the equivalent to what 84 million people eat daily. Last modified on Thu 15 Oct 2020 09.19 EDT. Very soon â rice will become so expensive that no one can eat. Swarms continue to form in Yemen with breeding likely to prevail throughout August and extend to the Red Sea Coastal plains. Bayer donated 170,000 liters of Decis ULV, a Deltamethrin-based insecticide. Earlier this year, the FAO issued a call for insecticides, including Deltamethrin, an active ingredient effective in combating the desert locust. “. Forecast for locust swarm spread from March to June 2020. Credit: FAO Locust Watch (UPDATE: On 14 April, the FAO Locust Watch released a further statement saying that âwidespread rainsâ¦in late March are expected to cause a dramatic increase in locust numbers in East Africa, eastern Yemen and southern Iran in the coming monthsâ. Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia are most vulnerable, as millions of families have been struggling to cope with an ongoing food crisis, caused by prolonged drought. Pius Nyagah Muchenge, a Kenyan farmer hit by the upsurge, explains: The situation is dire, but this isn’t a new problem: locusts are the oldest migratory pest in the world. The Great Locust Plague of 2020 By Todd Strandberg. The U.N. it has the potential âto be the most devastating plague of locusts in any of our living memories." Huge swarms of desert locusts are making their way across East Africa, causing massive destruction to crops and livelihoods. Locusts swarm acros a highway at Lerata village, near Archers Post in Samburu county, approximately 300 kilomters (186 miles) north of Kenyan capital, Nairobi on January 22, 2020. ... Apr. Ravenous locust swarm clouds more than three times the size of New York City descended in northeast Kenya, which is battling its worst infestation in 70 years. We tried making noise in the villages including beating iron sheets to irritate the locusts, but this did not do much. New biblical locust plague sees huge swarm devastate Pakistan - 25 million face famine A DEVASTATING invasion of crop-eating locusts has put large parts of ⦠A farmer shows a dead locust found in his field as locust swarms currently plague large zones in the ... [+] country at Badra Sonauti village on the outskirts of Allahabad on June 10, 2020. Give now to help transform lives. âIt only takes 30 seconds for a swarm to eat an entire field.â The Desert Locust is considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world, with a âsmallâ swarm (less than a mile in diameter) consuming as much food in one day as 35,000 people. Swarms travelling from Pakistan into India made their way to the northern states for the first time since 1962. Locusts rest on a tree in Quetta, Pakistan, on June 12, 2020. By Sophie Mbugua. Food supplies for an estimated 13 million people are at risk, and UN agencies warn that an additional 20 million people could be threatened if the crisis drags on. FAO recently said in an alarming news release: âNew locust swarms are already forming and threatening to re-invade northern Kenya and breeding is also underway on both sides of the Red Sea, posing a new threat to Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, and Yemen.â To help raise awareness of the crisis, Bayer moderated a livestream conversation on LinkedIn (replay here) where Indian farmer Baldwinder Singh Kang describes what is happening in his community while renowned experts from the FAO, the World Bank and Bayer discuss the impacts on food security and what can be done to stop the trajectory of the upsurge. In an outbreak, the locusts can quickly multiply, form swarms and migrate over large distances, traveling up to 95 miles a day. If not properly mitigated, catastrophic plagues can develop, taking several years and hundreds of millions of dollars to bring under control with severe repercussions on food security and livelihoods. ... 2020, 4:48 PM UTC. the most destructive migratory pest in the world, with a “small” swarm (less than a mile in diameter). “This is extremely worrying and has major implications for, There are worrying times ahead for affected families, as experts warn of a 500. times increase in locust numbers, if the crisis is left unchecked. Scientists note climate change as a main driver of the current outbreak. Each square kilometer locust swarm is made up of 40 - 80 million locusts, but swarms can reach hundreds of millions. The recent coronavirus pandemic is only exacerbating the problems currently facing herders, also known as pastoralists, in Kenya. This spells disaster for those who live in their path. To date, the only effective way to combat locust swarms of this magnitude is to apply insecticide either by air or on the ground when the insects are resting and treating the breeding areas as prevention. Pilot programs using advanced types of drones and satellite imagery that intelligently map out dry topsoil on farms to look for moisture beneath, could help predict ideal conditions for egg laying and potentially stop an outbreak before it can start. Not having food because the crop was damaged by locusts, not having ready food to buy because of the same reason, and not having the money to buy if it is available is our greatest nightmare for now. according to Concern Kenya Country Director, Amina Abdulla. They are found in the deserts of some 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East during quiet times. Recent rains had given hope of relief — hope that is now being dashed by the massive locust invasion. “Locust swarms have started laying eggs and another generation of breeding will increase locust numbers,” says Keith Cressman, a senior locust forecasting officer at the FAO. Reports are now coming in that swarms of locusts have now crossed into South Sudan, a country already badly affected by hunger. Bayer is an innovation company with a more than 150-year history. Food is an essential for survival so the whole community will be affected directly or indirectly by the food scarcity and rising prices.”. “These cash transfers allow families to buy food, seeds, agricultural tools and other basic items.”. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Consumer Health brings consumers some of the world’s best-known and most trusted over-the-counter (OTC) medications, nutritional supplements and other self-care products. Pharmaceuticals focuses on prescription drugs for the therapeutic areas of cardiology, oncology, gynecology, hematology & ophthalmology. To truly get ahead of this locust catastrophe and prevent a humanitarian crisis, there must be a shared commitment among partners at the global and local level to invest in innovative solutions and ensure they are made available to farmers like Pius Nyagah Muchenge who are trying to hold out hope: The current locust crisis is only the latest example of the devastation that crop pests can cause. The UN reckons the swarms in ⦠Communities are left with little else to do than use smoke, dig ditches to bury hoppers or trying to scare them off by banging on drums, cans and pans, blowing whistles, honking motorcycle horns or revving tractors. Science The plague began in June 2019 and continued into 2020, although locust swarms have experienced steady declines in population and geographical reach from May to October, and are, as of November 2020, primarily found ⦠Dr. Holger Kray, World Bank Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food Security, elaborates on the awareness issue: “If the world was not unfortunately distracted by the horrific COVID-19 situation, the locust situation would be all over the media; because it is overwhelming, it is a horrific situation”. Updated Feb. 22, 2020 8:31AM ET / Published Feb. 22, 2020 5:34AM ET REUTERS HONG KONGâSwarms of desert locusts have devastated crops in East ⦠But the problem could get much worse. We pray and hope that the locusts never return. Continued funding to provide access to urgently needed insecticide is the only way to address the immediate crisis. âStarting in early 2020, the global Desert Locust situation deteriorated, as favorable climatic conditions allowed widespread breeding of the pest in East Africa, Southwest Asia, and the area around the Red Sea,â writes the website, pinpointing Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Iran, ⦠Meanwhile in Somalia, rural communities already struggling to cope following unusually heavy rains and flash floods in the second half of 2019 are especially vulnerable now to the effect of the massive locust swarms. The need now is more urgent than ever. The locust plague devastated Lawrence Mwagire's crops. “Millions of locusts are eating all vegetation in their path including food crops that are absolutely crucial for survival here,” according to Concern Kenya Country Director, Amina Abdulla. Even in the best of times farmers in the affected regions lack access to the latest technology and training to produce a healthy harvest. Alerts were issued in South America in late June as a 9 mile2 swarm that entered Argentina from Paraguay headed towards Uruguay. In the summer of 1988, swarms of locusts originating in North Africa crossed the Atlantic Ocean and invaded the Caribbean and neighbouring parts of South America for the first time in recorded history. For 19th century American farmers, a sudden locust cloud must have literally looked and sounded like a biblical plague. Swarms regularly cross the Red Sea, which is 186 miles wide, and in 1954, a swarm travelled from northwest Africa to Great Britain. Multiple swarms have been appearing across the Horn of Africa over recent weeks, some as big as 25 miles in diameter. To date, the only effective way to combat locust swarms of this magnitude is to apply insecticide either by air or on the ground when the insects are resting and treating the breeding areas as prevention. A massive swarm that hit Kenya measured 2400 km² (almost 930 mi²) and was made up of 200 billion locusts. Severe weather conditions including heat extremes, strong cyclones and unusually heavy rains in the Arabian Peninsula are creating ideal conditions for adult populations to explode. There is no silver bullet. Conflict, climate disaster, chronic poverty. They not only cause devastating damage to crops –– but can serve as vectors for diseases like malaria and dengue. Published on 14/02/2020, 6:00am. East Africa races against time to contain locust outbreak as UN pleads for funding Published Fri, Feb 28 2020 9:20 AM EST Updated Tue, Mar 3 2020 1:17 AM EST Elliot Smith @ElliotSmithCNBC “This is extremely worrying and has major implications for Kenya in terms of food security,” Amina Abdullah warns. “Millions of locusts are eating all vegetation in their path including food crops that are absolutely crucial for survival here,”. This spells disaster for those who live in their path. A similar locust invasion in the 1950s resulted in famine in Kenya. Locust swarms have invaded Russia's southern regions causing colossal damage to the local agriculture. Locust plague warning: New Delhi on high alert as swarm nears A video shared by Italian broadcaster TG3 showed the full extent of the damage, with ⦠Looking for a job in an innovative company? In Kenya and Uganda, for example, about 75% of their workforce is employed in agriculture making up about a third of their GDP. Plagues of locusts are recorded as early as the Pharaonic times of ancient Egypt with perhaps the most famous reference in the Old Testament’s Book of Exodus. The FAO and the World Bank are partnering with ag industry leaders, non-profits and local governments to develop integrated pest management plans to support affected countries to undertake safe and effective operations to monitor, treat and prevent insect damage. Modeling and the use of algorithms have the potential to predict the spread of swarms to determine the optimal control strategy. The locust infestation is expected to drive up the price of food in affected countries and the wider region, and will likely have knock-on effects on those living in urban slums, potentially tipping them into a crisis situation. Learn more about Bayer and the opportunities available. Transfers of Values to Healthcare Professionals, Collaboration with Healthcare Professionals, Data Privacy Information For Specific Processing Activities, Duties and Activities of the Board of Management, New Safety Features for Prescription Medicine in Europe, Position on Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Raising the Bar on Crop Protection Safety Standards, From Molecules to Veterinary Medicines Brochure, Questions, Countermotions and Election Proposals, Sustainability & Socially Responsible Investing, International Trainee Program for Financial Management, International Future Leadership Program - Engineers, Pharmacists, Natural Scientists, Global Supply Chain Management Trainee Program, International Procurement Management Trainee Program, forced more than 15,000 people to evacuate. The 2019â20 locust infestation is a pest outbreak of desert locusts which is threatening the food supply across the regions of East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent. 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