Kenya is racing against time to control desert locusts as the long rain season begins next week.
The rains will begin in Western Kenya, highlands west of the Rift Valley and parts of Narok, Nakuru and Laikipia counties, the Meteorological department says. There is fear if young hoppers are not killed they may destroy newly planted crops.
“Our current concern is that the first-generation swarms that came in from Ethiopia and Somalia are now breeding, and by the time the eggs hatch, it will be planting season, meaning early germination of crops,” said Tobias Takavarasha, interim representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization in Kenya.
“The hopper bands are the most voracious feeders in the lifecycle of desert locusts, which is why we are urgently increasing ground control.”
South Coast and Central highlands, including Nairobi, Nyeri, Embu, Meru and Nyandarua will be next to receive the long rains in the second to the third week of March.
North Coast (Lamu, Tana River, and Kilifi), and northeastern counties of Wajir, Isiolo, Garissa, Mandera and Marsabit will receive rains in the third or fourth week.
Head of the Meteorological department Stella Aura said, “Farmers are advised to liaise with the State Department of Agriculture for advice on the appropriate seeds to be used.”
She noted the light rains that began yesterday in some parts of Kenya that were previously dry will end on Monday. While rainfall is important for locust development and breeding, wind and other atmospheric disturbances are the most important for flying swarms.
The government last week trained 600 National Youth Service recruits to help in spraying the young locusts called nymphs before the long rains start. The pests have been arriving in alarming numbers since December, with new swarms reported to be on the way from Ethiopia and Somalia.
At present, there are 17 counties with confirmed desert locust infestations.The NYS youths will be deployed mostly in northern Kenya where they will use hand-held sprays.
“Right now, if we do not increase ground surveillance and get the locusts when they are still hopper bands if we allow them to mature and breed, every new generation will increase 20 times in number. This is why we think NYS trainees would be excellent for this operation,” said Kello Harsame, the Secretary for Administration, at the Ministry of Agriculture.
He spoke during the training in Gilgil last week. “NYS trainees are always ready to serve. After this training, they will be deployed to various stations to start spraying the hopper bands,’ said NYS deputy director Enock Amdavi.
