LOCUST INFESTATION POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO CROPS IN PARTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES - 29 July 1999
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Infestations of locusts, which developed in areas of Kazakhstan, notably in the east (Almaty area) and the north (Pavlodar oblast), have spread into adjoining areas of the Russian Federation. Recent reports indicate that swarms have also moved into Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The situation is serious as both farmers and the government in all the affected countries lack adequate resources and technology to deal effectively with the problem. The locusts, in addition to causing severe localised dama ge to crops in Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, have laid eggs over millions of hectares. These eggs, unless destroyed, will hatch in the spring of 2000 posing a greater threat to next year's crops. Locust infestations are an annual occurrence mainly in Kazakhstan and, to a lesser extent, in the Russian Federation, but the scale and intensity of the infestations have increased steadily over the past years. This year, in the Russian Federation, locust infestations are being reporte d from areas which have not experienced infestations since the 1920's. The major cause is the serious shortage of investment and working capital at all levels and the structural adjustment in the agriculture sector that has led to marginal land being taken out of production. The sharp increase in the amount of fallow land, particularly in Kazakhstan, which is left virtually untreated, has provided ideal breeding grounds for locusts and other pests.