Desert locust movements in Northwest Africa raise concern amid spring breeding season | FAO News

Rome – The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is urging countries in Northwest Africa to enhance monitoring & initiate early control measures as adult desert locust groups & small swarms – originating from the Sahel – moved into southern Sahara in the Western Region of the desert locust distribution area.

Locust activity intensified from late February through March, with adult groups & small swarms arriving in central Algeria, western Libya, & southern Tunisia. Due to favorable ecological conditions, the current spring breeding season has witnessed significantly larger infestations than usual.

Winds & rainfall patterns have facilitated northward movement of desert locusts from southern Algeria, northern Mali, Niger & Chad. In these Sahelian regions, small groups were breeding from August until early March. The influx of populations into Northwest Africa – particularly in the north & south of the Hoggar Mountains in Algeria & Fezzan in southwest Libya – has prompted FAO to classify the situation in the Western Region as caution, requiring increased vigilance.

“Surveys & control operations are particularly urgent in locations where winter & early spring rains have created suitable breeding conditions,” said Cyril Piou, Locust Monitoring & Forecasting Officer.  “FAO forecasts since January have said that hatching & band formation would start this month in affected areas. If left unchecked, these bands could develop into small swarms from May to June, increasing the risk to crops & pastureland.”

FAO recommends conducting intensive ground surveys across key areas where locust breeding is likely to occur – spanning from south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco to the Sahara in Algeria & extending to southern Tunisia & western Libya. These areas have received sufficient rainfall to support vegetation growth, creating favorable conditions for locust development.

The desert locust remains one of the world’s most destructive migratory pests. A single swarm can cover one to several hundreds of square kilometers. Just a single square kilometer of swarm can contain up to 80 million adults, with the capacity to consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. Early detection & rapid response are critical to preventing a wider crisis.

FAO, through its Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS) & Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO), continues to provide technical guidance, real-time updates, & operational support to affected countries.