Experts are meeting in Nairobi to review the response to the desert locust upsurge that ravaged the country in 2019-2022 as well as the readiness to deal with future threats.
Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi, who opened the event at Safari Park Hotel, said the most destructive pest of crops and pasture needs close monitoring and intervention any time there is an outbreak.
“As a country, we suffered the invasion during the 2019/2021 upsurge that affected many regions including the greater horn of Africa,” he said.
Linturi continued, “With the current events of climate change, essential areas may expand to that of Northern and Eastern Kenya. However, expanding regional areas without a regional approach to preparedness will increase the frequency of invasions and worsen the severity of impacts of the desert locusts on people’s lives and livelihoods.”
He said desert locust is a regional problem that needs sustained preparedness and continued capacity building to manage locusts effectively and efficiently in future.
The CS made the remarks at Safari Park Hotel during the Desert Locusts Control Committee 42nd Session.
The session seeks to discuss and share experiences on desert control efforts by countries with the support of FAO, Regional Desert Locust Commissions and partners.
It will review the achievements of the FAO Global Emergency.
On Monday, Linturi presided over the handover of agricultural aircraft to Desert Locusts Control Organisation for Eastern Africa at Wilson Airport.
The aircraft was purchased at a cost of $1.7 million by FAO with the support of financial partners in the context of the FAO Desert Locust Emergency Response. It will be used in the region to control future invasions.
The aircraft will improve the capacity and preparedness of the Desert Locust Control Organisation and its member states to rapidly respond to new emergencies.
Linturi said Kenya is appropriate for deliberations on desert locust management issues.
Plant Production and Protection Division director with FAO Jingyuan Xia, FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa Dr Chimimba David Phiri, FAO Kenya Country Representative Carla Mucavi and Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa director Moses Mwesigwa were present.
Agriculture Ministers from Uganda and Somalia were also present.
The FAO Desert Locust Control Committee (DLCC) was established in 1955 by the FAO Director-General as a global advisory and coordinating body on Desert Locust early warning, monitoring, control and emergency preparedness.
The DLCC supported Kenya in controlling the desert locust invasion in 2019/20.
Kenya was among the most severely affected countries during the desert locust upsurge, and despite its limited locust management capacity, and the fact that Desert Locust swarms invaded Kenya for the first time in 70 years, the country managed to successfully prevent widespread locust crop damage.
Kenya’s desert locust invasion affected the northern region of the country.
This was after swarms started coming into the country from Ethiopia and Somalia on December 28, 2019, before spreading to 28 counties.
Authorities were jolted into action as the swarm posed risk to food security, undermining economic growth.
In April 2020, another generation started forming swarms.
Linturi said the 2019/2021 locust invasion was the worst in 70 years.
“Between December 2019 and November 2021, several hectares of cropland, pasture land was affected by the Desert locust,” he said lauding FAO for being worthy collaborators since the invasion descended on the country.
The CS said FAO’s support enabled the country to protect pastoralist livelihood, averting a loss of 11,338 hectares of crop worth $3.4 million.
Linturi said the lack of a guiding strategy was noted as a weak point during pest control.
He said some countries in the region are not considered among priority nations for training and general preparedness.
The CS said the countries are not members of FAO regional commissions.
He said some considerations should be made to include non-member countries in the regional activities.
Linturi urged FAO to consider forming another regional commission that will take care of countries in the greater horn of Africa.
The CS said a migratory and invasive pests and weeds management strategy 2022-2027 with the help of partners that helps to document the country’s experiences can establish a framework for future management of invasions.
Linturi said sustainable management of desert locusts requires a regional approach.
Mucavi said the threat particularly for fall armyworms is persistent and was bringing misery to the farmers.
“An attack by an army is not easy to repulse,” she said.
Mucavi said Kenya managed to control what could have been a disaster.
She said over 93 million hectares were saved from the invasion while another 146 million hectares were treated.
Mucavi said $3.8 million was used.
She said 106 community scouts were engaged in the battle against locusts.
