The fight against locusts in the southern part of the island should not be delayed so as not to cause significant damage to food production in Madagascar. A call from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations "FAO", September 10, 2021 ...
The fight against the locust invasion must take place over 400,000 hectares, before it rains; time to multiply for the locust swarm and spread to different areas. Funding of up to $ 6,800,000 must be required before October to meet the Locust Program from November to May 2022.
Of this amount, $ 400,000 is already available, which is emergency aid from FAO. The World Bank has already announced that it is ready to participate in the financing following the persuasion of the Malagasy government, the procedure for disbursing the remaining funds is therefore awaited, as explained by the Permanent Representative of FAO in Madagascar, Charles Boliko. .
FAO technicians came to the field to examine the situation in the south and said the use of planes, such as helicopters, was necessary in locust control. A total of 550 flight hours will be completed, of which 150 hours will be spent for prospecting in order to plan the locust schedule or program, and the remaining 400 hours will be needed for action, according to FAO experts.
