"Seven plagues of Egypt" - After the 'Muslim brotherhood' now Egypt bracing for 'locusts'.(
AO).Recent weeks have seen increasing reports of a "plague of locusts," which some experts say could hit Egypt's Nile Delta within days.
Since January, swarms of the insects – originating from Sudan – have been spotted along the Red Sea coast, in south-eastern Egypt, north-eastern Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia.
On 17 February, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) reported that more locust swarms were expected in south-eastern Egypt and north-eastern Sudan.
On Monday, swarms were reported to have reached Egypt's Red Sea city of Zafarana, some 200 kilometres from Cairo, en route to Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, an emergency alert was issued in the Upper Egyptian city of Qena after locusts appeared in at least three major villages.
FAO Communication Consultant Rafaella Rucci told Ahram Online that the situation had been officially designated a "threat," but had yet to be classified as a "danger."
"The situation is not as alarming as news sources are saying," Rucci asserted. "For example, it isn't accurate to say that the locusts will reach the Nile Delta 'within hours'."
While it is impossible to assess their numbers – or the threat they pose to agriculture – Rucci explained that various locust-containment strategies were being currently being pursued in coordination with Egypt's agriculture ministry.
Abdu, speaking from Marsa Allam in south-eastern Egypt, estimated that roughly four million locusts a day were being targeted in hopes of preventing them from reaching the Nile Delta.
According to a recent FAO statement, locust numbers will likely increase as long as weather conditions remain favourable for their breeding and no more rains fall. Experts say wind direction, too, will be a main factor in determining the danger locusts pose to specific areas, such as Egypt's Nile Delta.
Egypt is Africa's largest wheat grower, with an expected output of 8.5 million tonnes in 2012/13, according to data from the International Grains Council. Egypt boasts approximately 3.6 million hectares of agricultural land, meaning the country has a lot to lose in the event of a major locust infestation.
According to the FAO, one tonne of locusts eat the same amount of food in a single day as about 2,500 people.
Mohamed Abdel-Razek, who manages a farm in the Beheira governorate (also located in Egypt's Nile Delta), many farmers are in a state of extreme anxiety, with many expecting an imminent locust invasion.
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Once they arrive, they can't be stopped," he said of the crop-destroying creatures. "Preventative measures should have been taken much earlier."
Abdel Razek, whose crops represent his family's main source of income, blamed the locusts' appearance on government negligence. "
The fact that the locusts were able to enter Egypt means the government has failed to do its job," he said. "They should have been stopped at the border."
The locust danger comes at a precarious time for Egypt, when the country's budget deficit has reached $160 billion and foreign reserves have fallen to less than half of their pre-revolution levels.
Former agriculture minister Salah Youssef, for his part, had a unique take on the situation.
"The plague of locusts appears to be God's will," said Youssef, who briefly served as minister in the wake of Egypt's revolution in early 2011. "We must accept it; we deserve it," he added, in reference to recent domestic political turmoil.
Hmmmmm.....'The Lord works in mysterious ways'. Genesis 12:3 ~ "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."Read the full story
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