Bee and livestock keepers in Seeb, Barka and Bidbid have been advised to take precautions as the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries begins aerial spraying to combat desert locust swarms.
The Department of Plant Protection at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries had apprehended a rise in the locust population in light of possibility of rains which create the perfect environment for the desert locusts to breed.
“The rainfall was mainly in Musandam,” said Nasr bin Saif al Shamsi, Director of Plant Protection at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. According to the director, teams from the ministry were engaged in anti-locust measures in Al Amerat and Wadi Adai. “There are still locusts in Muscat. From Bausher and Al Khuwair they have moved to Al Amerat and Wadi Adai. However, they are not swarms anymore but only scattered in groups,” he said.
“Our focus is also on Al Sharqiyah Governorate as in the beginning the swarm was found in the South Al Sharqiyah Governorate but now they have begun to attack parts of North Al Sharqiyah,” he added..
Last week on Tuesday and Wednesday anti-locust procedures were carried out in Al Amerat and Wadi Adai. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries teams are also carrying out anti-locust treatment in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate and monitoring the direction of their movement. By Saturday the locust swarm was visible in Al Ghubra and on Monday the ministry announced the aerial spraying.
“As the locusts are now moving in smaller groups so we cannot use the same measures as we would use to control swarms,” he explained.
Since desert locusts are also a delicacy and people capture large numbers of the insect during the season, the official warned them to watch out for signs to ensure that they have not been treated.
“It is a custom that has been practiced for many years in different parts of the world. But they have to make sure they do not consume the locusts that have become weak or are found inactive or the ones that have fallen down on the ground,” he pointed out. These indicate that locusts have been affected by the treatment.
Al Shamsi explained that prior to the operation against the locusts, the Wali and other officials in the governorates are informed by the ministry in addition to making announcements in the media. “We inform the public about the locations we are going to be treating so that livestock owners can take precaution by not allowing the animals not to graze in the mentioned areas in the following days as there would be traces of pesticides and the caution is aimed at bee keepers as well,” he explained.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
