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Policy Makers, Other Stake Holders Sensitised

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:47:38 GMT

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The African Emergency Locust Project recently held a one-day training workshop for National Assembly Members, media, veterinary officials and health workers on safety and pest handling.

The gesture is part of their attempt to cope and control poisonous substances use to kill pests which are hazardous to humans, livestock, and to the environment.

The forum was also aimed at creating awareness for stakeholders on the need for proper mechanisms to minimise the risk associated with pesticide use and handling.

The representative of the permanent secretary at the Department of State for Agriculture, Mr. Jerro Manneh, dwelled on the importance of the training. He stressed the need for reserve measures to advert unforeseen scares from the improper use of pesticides.

Ms. Yassin Kan, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer with the African Emergency Locust Project, gave a brief background to the project. In ensuring that the recommendations reach the beneficiaries Ms Kan called on National Assembly Members to use their enormous moral authority to dilate the ideals they have learned to the people at the grassroots.

Ms. Kan made assurances, that she will do all that is necessary to achieve the objectives of the project.

After deliberations participants came up with sound recommendations for proper implementation and effective utilisation of pesticides.

Author: By Soury Camara

ETHIOPIA-KENYA: FAO forecasts locust swarms in January

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:55:51 GMT

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Locust swarms are expected in late December and early January in northeast Kenya and southeast Ethiopia in November, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.

"From mid-December onwards, small swarms are expected to form in [Ethiopia’s] the Ogaden north of the Sheble [river] and gradually move south towards Kenya," the agency said in its latest bulletin, forecasting the locust situation in the region until mid-January 2008.

FAO said breeding in November in eastern Ethiopia resulted in the hatching and formation of numerous bands of insects in the Ogaden and that several swarms laid eggs there, while others moved to southern Somalia and northeastern Kenya.

In Kenya, the FAO said, hatching occurred in the northeast during the second week of December and the small bands formed would give rise to small swarms by mid-January.

"New swarms could appear from the north after mid-December," the agency added. "All efforts should be made to monitor this developing and potentially dangerous situation closely and carefully, and to undertake control as necessary."

On 11 December, FAO said the locust infestation remained serious in the affected areas in Kenya and Ethiopia, following further reports of infestations in the two countries.

Swarms of locusts, originating from Somalia, began to infest Kenya's northeastern district of Mandera and some areas in the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia at the end of November but have since moved to other parts of the two countries.

According to experts, an average swarm consists of 40 million locusts and a single locust can eat two grammes of food a day.

The Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa - a regional pest and vector management organisation – said it has begun a verification assessment in the two countries.

Source: IRIN

EAST AFRICA: Locust infestation serious in Kenya and Ethiopia, says FAO

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:10:42 GMT

Thursday, December 13, 2007

The locust infestation remains serious in northeast Kenya and southeast Ethiopia, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"There have been new reports of infestations further west in both countries," FAO's Desert Locust Bulletin stated in its 11 December situation update report.

Swarms of locust, originating from Somalia, began to infest Kenya's northeastern district of Mandera and some areas in the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia at the end of November but have since moved to other parts of the two countries.

"In Kenya, at least one mature swarm crossed the Ethiopian border into Moyale district, west of Madera, where it was seen near Goda on November 30," the bulletin explained. "In Southeast Ethiopia, locust adults have been seen flying in the Borena zone of Oromia region, which is west of Ogaden and north of Kenya."

Lema Gebeyehu, head of the Crop Protection Division in the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, confirmed to IRIN that locusts covered 375 hectares of land in Yabello and Teltale of Borena zone.

"Large numbers of adult locusts were reported in the districts of Moyale, Dire, Arero and Yabelo," the bulletin added.

According to experts, an average swarm consists of 40 million locusts and a single locust can eat two grammes at a day.

"The locusts will not affect the crop in the area due to the dry season," Lema said. "However, they will damage the pasture availability in the area."

The Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (DLCO) has already begun a verification assessment in the two areas. "After finalising the verification we will begin aerial control operations," said Abdurhaman Abdulahi, a senior research officer at DLCO.

He believed the locusts originally came from Somalia but "due to the current situation in Somalia, it is not possible to conduct a control operation there”.

Abdurhaman said the adult locusts migrated from Somalia, laid their eggs in Kenya and hatched the hoppers in five places in Mandera.

He added that such a locust infestation "had not been seen for the last 40 years". DCLO categorises locust infestations as calm, upsurge and plague. This one had reached the "upsurge stage".

Source: IRIN

Locust control gains momentum...as 12 Regional Quest members certified

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 06:10:13 GMT

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Africa Emergency Locust Project (AELP) Gambia Office in its stride to control locust in the country recently concluded a five-day intensive training for Regional Quality Control Teams (QUEST), at the Agricultural Rural Farming Training Centre in Jenoi, Lower River Region.

The training which gathered 12 participants from the National Agricultural Development Agency (NADA), Agricultural Pest Management Unit, Department of State for Health (DoSH), National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Department of State for Water Resources, aims to capacitise regional quest teams to be fully equipped with the necessary requirements.

Declaring the training opened, Alhagie Momodou Soma Jobe, Governor of Lower River Region, on behalf of the people of the region, welcomed the trainers and trainees to the seminar. He registered his personal appreciation to the Department of State for Agriculture, through the AELP project for choosing Jenoi as their training centre.

He further implored the participants to take the training seriously as, according to him, locust control is another step in eradicating poverty. He also encouraged the participants to take note of the effects of the chemicals being used during locust control operations, saying “this can be detrimental to the lives of human beings and animals.

He added that controlling locust by the use of the required pesticides without proper care can also be detrimental to the lives of human beings, animals and the environment.

“Therefore, the up-keep of all these possibilities and dangers during locust control should be well understood by all, more particularly you the Quest Team members. So, if the information is filtered as expected, we will overcome the obstacles of any invasion in this country”, he noted.

Governor Jobe then expressed hope that at the end of the training, participants will gather the required information and then urged them to disseminate the knowledge at all levels. He further acknowledged the efforts of the AELP for their positive strides in ensuring that The Gambia is locust-free.

For his part, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, acting Project Coordinator of the Africa Emergency Locust Project (AELP) Gambia Office, gave a brief overview of the project. He reminded participants that the AELP is a sub-regional project, funded by the World Bank and The Gambia government, with the global objective of controlling locusts and mitigating its effects on human, animals and the environment, in a bid to enhance food security and alleviate poverty.

“The project has four components namely: Emergency Locust Control and Management, Early Warning and Response, Emergency Agricultural Investment and Project Management,” he said.

He then elaborated on the policies of the World Bank and its context in locust control to prevent any possible penetration of the chemical to human health, animals and the environment. “The safeguard policies of the World Bank indicate that, locust control should be carried out within a context that human health, animals and the environment is protected by minimising the risks and impact of pesticides. It is in this regard that the Quest teams were introduced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), to ensure the quality of locust control campaigns. The project has already established the National Quest Teams. Therefore, our gathering here today is to establish and train the regional Quest Teams to complement the efforts of the national team to ensure compliance with the safeguard polices of the World Bank in controlling the locust as hazardous pesticides are used” he highlighted.

Mr Sosseh then cleared out the role of the Quest teams in the country, noting that they are purposely to monitor the health of pesticide operators, conduct environment impact assessment, ensure proper calibration of the control equipment and conduct training for Regional Locust Teams, among others.

He added that these Quest teams across the country, comprises various stakeholder, led by National Environment Agency (NEA).

The AELP boss then quickly saluted President Yahya Jammeh, the Gambian leader for taking the lead role in locust control in the sub-region and his magnificent efforts in the 2004/2005-locust upsurge, which resulted in the inception of the Africa Emergency Locust Project in The Gambia.

He further commended the Secretary of State for Agriculture and staff and the World Bank Liaison Officer for the timely rescue of the project. Mr Sosseh then highlighted the achievements of the present management of the project, saying “the present management of the project were able to achieve a lot within a short period of time.”

He further assured Gambians, particularly the farmers that the sky is the limit in achieving the objectives of the project as envisaged by President Yahya Jammeh and the Department of State for Agriculture.

Mr Sosseh then acknowledged the cooperation of the various institutions represented at the training and then urged the participants to make the best use of the training as expected of them in the fields whenever the need arises.

Kekoi Kuyateh, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Department of State for Agriculture also confirmed that the training of the Regional Quest Teams will greatly compliment the efforts of the National Quest teams in their endeavours monitoring the health of the pesticide operators, conduct environment impact assessments as well as to ensure proper calibration of the control equipment to achieve the objectives of the project.

According to the DoSA Deputy Permanent Secretary, the training will further help the teams digest as expected of them. “This training will help you to perform your duties as expected as during the course of the activities, you will share ideas in various disciplines in locust control. He further reminded the trainees of the components of the AELP project and urged them to strive hard to overcome any obstacle whenever the need arise.

DPS Kuyateh then recognised the common bond of understanding and unity that exists between the AELP project and other departments.

He then implored the trainees to take the training seriously and disseminate the knowledge gained from the training at different levels.

Sessions and field practical

During the training proper, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, acting Project Coordinator of the Africa Emergency Locust Control Project in The Gambia elaborated on the need for Quest teams in the country.

In his introduction, Mr Sosseh advised trainees that as Quest team members, they should work under one umbrella, support each other and complement each other’s efforts. He urged them to always define the objectives of their works, covering people who are directly and indirectly involved in the dangers of pesticides, such as distributors, sellers, application teams, pesticide store keepers, the local population, amongst others.

He also advised participants not to impose sanctions, prosecute or punish people, but to be maintained by operating independently.

Saikou Jammeh of the Agricultural Pest Management (APMU), who doubles as the locust team leader for Central River Region exposed participants to different classifications of locust.

He further went on to introduce them to the polymorphism phase of the locust, the difference between locust and grasshoppers, noting that locust are grasshoppers with gregarious species. Mr Jammeh then lectured the participants on calibration, among other necessary stages in locust control.

On the second day of the training, trainees received first hand information on the importance of Personal Protective Gears (PPG), presented by Mr Lang Kinteh, Divisional Agricultural Coordinator for Lower River Region.

Mr Sheikh Tijan Sooseh, then introduced trainees to Global Positioning System (GPS), covering a wide range of the GPS. He then exposed the trainees on the operation, usefulness and sensitivity of the GPS, more particularly during locust invasion.

During the afternoon of the same day, participants conducted a field exercise on the use of Global Positioning System ((GPS) to showcase their talents on the GPS.

On the third day of the session, Suwandou Badjie, a Medical and Health Officer at the Department of State for Health, exposed trainees to different health stages, by brainstorming on pesticide poisoning, safety, among others.

The trainees also conducted a field trip to collect their traps, while pests trapped during the process were named, grouped and accordingly ordered.

AFRIMED’s Harouna Jallow gave the participants a wider background on cholinesterase.

At the end of the training, participants were given topics to discuss on group works, before they were officially certified for successfully completing a five-day Quest Training and becoming Regional Quest members.

Author: Written by Alhagie Jobe

Source: The Daily Observer Newspaper

MALI-NIGER: Insecurity halts locust monitoring but threat deemed low - FAO

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:53:00 GMT

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A spate of kidnappings and attacks by militias in northern Mali and Niger has forced governments there to halt locust monitoring work, but the threat of locust invasion this year is still deemed low by the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

“Normally both countries have national locust teams which are responsible for visiting desert areas to check if there is green vegetation and locusts,” said Keith Cressman, locust monitoring officer at the FAO in Rome. “This year in the [northern desert areas] of Niger and Mali it is not secure so in both countries, teams cannot get in to do their monitoring,”

In Mali, a locust monitoring team was one of the first victims of a spate of kidnappings in August by a group claiming to be Touareg rebels. “The kidnapping of army soldiers got more attention,” Cressman explained. “It is not known if the locust team has been released. After that the government recalled all survey teams to a safe area and stopped surveying, and the same is true in Niger.”

An invasion is nonetheless deemed unlikely by the FAO. “If there were sizeable swarms we would hear about it – locals would pass the information to the authorities and they would inform us,” Cressman said. “It takes at least half a year before locusts reach [dangerous-sized swarms] and usually by then we would expect to have had warning.” Monitoring has continued as usual in neighbouring Mauritania, but little breeding has so far been discovered.

Locusts are an annual threat to people's already fragile livelihoods in the impoverished Sahel region of West Africa. The tiny insects breed exponentially to form devastating swarms that can strip hundreds of square miles of farmland bare within hours.

Preventing locust invasions is much easier if the locust larvae can be found before they hatch and while swarms are still small. The monitoring requires teams on the ground as the signs cannot be discovered on the military satellite readouts used by locust monitors in the Sahel.

According to the FAO, most of the breeding typically happens in the northern desert regions of Mali, Mauritania and Niger. The normal locust breeding period in West Africa is from July to September or October, coinciding with the annual rainy season.

Wetter years can sometimes be equated with a greater threat of locusts. However, the FAO said that even though this year some parts of the Sahel have experienced torrential rains and unprecedented flooding, the northern Sahel areas where the locusts usually breed have experienced only average rainfall.

“What flooding has been reported, and confirmed by satellite data, shows most floods occurred south of locust areas, not in them. This could be important for the breeding of [less destructive] grasshoppers, but not locusts,” Cressman said.

The last time a major locust invasions happened in West Africa was 2004. Even though regional locust monitors had detected swarms forming in October 2003, it was not until the insects started wiping out crops in September 2004 that donors and national governments took action.

Source: IRIN

Central Region locust situation: Gambian farmers warned

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:58:11 GMT

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Africa Emergency Locust Project (AELP), Gambia office and the Agricultural Pest Management Unit (APMU) of the Department of State for Agriculture (DoSA) have issued a stern warning to Gambian farmers that the just released FAO Monthly Bulletin on the locust situation in Central Region is potentially dangerous and if the situation is not put under control, swarms may invade the Western Region, of which the Gambia is inclusive, during the summer.

According to reports released yesterday by the Africa Emergency Locust Project (AELP) Gambia office, signed by Sheikh Tijan GE Sosseh, acting Project Coordinator, the FAO monthly Desert Locust Bulletin indicates that the monthly locust situation in the Central Region is potentially dangerous and control interventions are being undertaken as if the situation is not put under control, swarms may invade the Western Region during the summer of 2007.

The report further stated that The Gambia, being part of the Western Region, has no locust presence but the Regional Locust Teams have been put under full alert. “The Regional Offices are functional and teams are provided with motorcycles for scouting, vehicles mounted with sprayers and adequate quantities of pesticides and portable control equipment to be able to rapidly respond to any locust or pest infestations”, the report noted.

Furthermore, the report added that the spray aircraft provided by President Yahya Jammeh, the Gambian leader, has also been put on stand-by at the Banjul International Airport with enough aviation fuel for any imminent intervention and that there is no cause for fear.

“Farmers are therefore warned now to report their pest problems to the nearest agricultural stations or workers in their regions or contact the Africa Emergency Locust Project on 4397903 or 4397906 or 7036451 or the Agricultural Pest Management Unit on 4472758 or 7786623 or 9988799 within the Greater Banjul Area.
In the Western Region, farmers can call 9822531 or 9822529 or 7711364; North Bank Region on 9822533; Central River Region North, farmers can report to the Kuntaur or Wassu Agricultural Station; Central River Region South, call 9904034 or report to the Sapu Agricultural Station; Upper River Region, farmers can report to the Basse Agricultural Station or call 9924707; Lower River Region, farmers can report to Jenoi Agricultural Station or call 9822537 or 9927019 or 993996 and the National Agricultural Development Agency (NADA) on 9966117 or 4495420”.

The report concluded by soliciting the cooperation of the general public in the drive to monitor and control locust and other pest infestations.

Author: Written by Alhagie Jobe

Source: The Daily Observer Newspaper

‘Gambia is locust free’

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 05:30:23 GMT

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The monthly locust report for June, 2007 has been release with no locust presence reported in The Gambia and neighbouring Senegal with no significant developments likely.

In a six-page report release by the African Emergency Locust Project (AELP), Banjul office yesterday signed by Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, acting Project Co-Coordinator, the locust teams in the Gambia have surveyed over 800 hectare of natural vegetation and vegetable crops but no locust presence is reported.

In the forecast, the report stated that slight increases in locust numbers were reported in Mali, Niger and Mauritania.

In the sub-regional outlook for Western Region, the report stated that, the situation remained calm in the region during the month of June. “Low numbers of solitaries’ adults were present in few places in Morocco and Southern Algeria. Limited breeding occurred in Northwest Algeria, where ground control operations were carried out against groups of hoppers and adults. Small scale breeding will commence with the onset of the seasonal rains in Southern Mauritania, northern Mali and Niger and the eastern Chad causing locust numbers (2) to increase slightly in July and August,” the report stated.

On the weather and ecological conditions, the report highlighted that, mainly dry conditions persisted during June and the inter tropical convergence zone remained south of the summer breeding area in the Sahel. It added that, light rains may have fallen in Mauritania, Mali and Libya and the ecological conditions remained dry in most areas except in parts of Mali, Mauritania and Niger where green vegetation may have been present.

According to the ECLO/FAO monthly locust situation update for June 2007, the report stated that, the several desert locust swarms moved east across northern Somalia from Eastern Ethiopia to Hargeisa and Sanaag, reaching Bosasso last week. “Since then, there have been no new report of locust in Northeast Somalia and only scattered adults are present on the escarpment and coast near Berbera in the Northwest. The situation remains extremely serious and potentially dangerous in Yemen. Widespread egg laying and hatching is in progress within a large area, although the situation remains calm in other regions,” the report noted.

On the desert locust situation, swarms from Ethiopia and Northern Somalia are expected to cross the Indian Ocean and reach India and Pakistan in the next few days and the potentially dangerous situation should be closely monitored. “The recent cyclone have caused heavy down pour of rainfall in Pakistan and pour of rainfall and Western India creating favourable breeding conditions. The two governments are warned and they are mobilising field teams, equipment and resources to launch a control campaign” the report stated.

In The Gambia, the African Emergency Locust Project stated that, the regional locust offices are now operational in all the regions in the country and the teams are mobile with motor vehicles and motorcycles and are undertaking vigorous monitoring. The office further confirmed that, the teams are fully equipped with the necessary control equipment and pesticide stock to respond to any locust or other pest situation during the cropping season.

The AELP Gambia office then advised farmers to report their pest or locust problems to any nearest Agricultural Station or the AELP office in Abuko on 7036451.

Author: Written by Alhagie Jobe

Source: The Daily Observer Newspaper

ETHIOPIA: Locust threat in the east

Sat, 12 May 2007 11:05:10 GMT

Saturday, May 12, 2007

A swarm of locusts is likely to infest the eastern part of Ethiopia in mid-June, the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA) has warned.

Abdurahman Abdulahi, senior research officer at DLCO-EA, told IRIN there was a potential threat to the Somali region, which shares a border with Somalia.

The regional state had faced a similar desert locust outbreak in Denbel, Aisha and Afdem woredas in Shinnile zone in April 2007.

According to its monthly Desert Locust Bulletin, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) stated that the aerial and ground-control operations treated 296 hectares of land in April.

"Although some of the areas have been treated, the locusts that survived the controlling operations in April will begin to hatch in mid-May and will began infesting the area in June," Abdurahman said.

He said there was a report of hatching in Harewa, Mito and Hare locations. The crop protection department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had sent an assessment team to Harewa, 45km away from Dire Dawa, to control the hatching.

"The assessment teams found locusts that covered 900 hectares in Harewa on 3 May and were taking controlling measures," he explained.

He said there was no immediate threat to grazing lands or the harvest. However, Abdurahman warned that if control measures were not taken immediately, the locust swarms would make a difference to when the crops began growing.

"We have got information at an early stage so it is easy to control the infestation with our two aircrafts based in Dire Dawa," he added.

Source: IRIN