A locust infestation sweeping the Horn of Africa reached Uganda on Sunday, a government minister said as the prime minister convened an emergency meeting to address the pest invasion.

"The locusts entered Uganda today" from Kenya, said Moses Kizige, the minister in charge of the northeastern Karamoja border region where the insects were spotted.

The locusts have devastated food supplies in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) describing the situation as the worst in 25 years.

Somalia declared a state of emergency this month as unusually large swarms of the hungry insects gorged on crops.

Desert locusts -- whose destructive infestations cause major crop damage and hunger -- are a species of grasshopper that live largely solitary lives until a combination of conditions promote breeding and lead them to form massive swarms.

Swarms formed in eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia have moved through the region.

The FAO says the current invasion is known as an "upsurge" -- when an entire region is affected -- however, if it gets worse and cannot be contained, over a year or more, it would become what is known as a "plague" of locusts.

There have been six major desert locust plagues in the 1900s, the last of which was in 1987-89. The last major upsurge was in 2003-05.

Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

African swine fever kills hundreds of pigs in Bali
Bali, Indonesia (AFP) Feb 5, 2020
Hundreds of pigs have died from African swine fever in Bali, authorities said Wednesday, marking the Indonesian holiday island's first recorded outbreak and after the virus claimed some 30,000 hogs in Sumatra. Ida Bagus Wisnuardhana, Bali's agriculture and food security agency chief, said nearly 900 pigs succumbed to swine fever since mid-December. "The results are positive for African swine fever," Ida told reporters, referring to tests performed on the dead animals. The string of deaths ha ... read more