The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has provided reassuring data regarding the presence of desert locusts in Morocco, confirming that “no locust activity was reported in the country during November this year.”
This official confirmation comes at a time when desert locusts were reported in varying levels across several countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel region, prompting the need for control operations in these areas.
According to the FAO’s “Desert Locust Bulletin,” locusts were detected in neighboring countries like Mauritania and Algeria during November, as well as in other nations within the Sahel. In Mauritania, isolated locusts, in both adult and immature stages, were found in the western and central regions. The FAO’s predictions suggest that small groups of locusts will likely remain in northwestern Mauritania, requiring preventive control measures.
In Algeria, isolated mature locust swarms were reported in the southern Sahara, particularly near Tamanrasset and Ain Salah, close to the border with Niger. The FAO anticipates that locusts will remain in southern Algeria, with potential northward movement from Niger and Mali, which may require additional preventive control efforts.
In Niger, isolated locust groups were observed in the southern and eastern regions of the Timi Mountains, following breeding activity in October and early November. Control operations were also significantly increased in November, with around 4,162 hectares treated across countries like Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.
No locust breeding was reported in Tunisia and Libya in November, and the FAO expects the situation to remain stable in these countries until mid-January 2025. Additionally, there was minimal rainfall in the northern Sahel, western Africa, and the Sahara, except for light showers in northern Mauritania and moderate rainfall in southern Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
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