Desert Locust Situation Update 28 May 2013

By Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Desert Locust Situation Update 28 May 2013
Desert Locust Situation Update 28 May 2013

KHARTOUM, Sudan, May 28, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- FAO's Desert Locust Information Service has today revised its situation analysis for the Central Region which includes Sudan.


It contains a forecast of small swarms of locusts migrating from the Sinai Peninsula to summer breeding areas in central Sudan in June.


The full text is below:


New adult groups and small swarms form in Sinai

Hoppers continue to form groups and small bands in the northern Sinai Peninsula along both sides of the Egypt/Israel border where hatching occurred in mid-April. Some of the hoppers have fledged to form immature adult groups and small swarms. Fledging is expected to continue for about one more week, causing an increasing number of immature adults to form groups and small swarms from infestations that are not detected or treated in both countries. Initially, the adults will move back and forth across the border and could threaten crops. This is expected to be followed by a southwesterly migration to the summer breeding areas in central Sudan during June. Similar infestations are also present in southern Sinai. Aerial and ground operations continue in the northern Negev Desert of Israel. Survey and control operations are also in progress in adjacent areas of the Sinai in Egypt but are limited due to insecurity.

Elsewhere in Egypt, breeding is underway near Qena and Lake Nasser (Garf Husein and Tushka) where groups of hoppers were treated.

In Saudi Arabia, control operations continue on the northern Red Sea coast and subcoastal areas near Tabuk where hopper bands are present and a few immature swarms have formed. No further infestations have been reported in the interior near Gassim since 18 May.

In Sudan, the situation has reportedly improved in the north; however, hopper bands are still present along the Nile Valley near Wadi Halfa. Adult groups and small swarms could form from any undetected infestations.

In Northwest Africa, limited control operations were undertaken recently in the spring breeding areas south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and Algeria against hopper groups and small bands.


You can also find the text online at: http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/info/index.html

A map of the situation is available here: http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/common/ecg/75/en/DL130528.jpg