Desert Locust Numbers Decline Significantly in Morocco: FAO

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports a notable reduction in desert locust populations across Morocco during July. This decline is attributed primarily to intensive field control operations and the natural migration of adult locusts towards Mauritania and the Sahel region, where they are expected to continue their summer breeding cycle in September.

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The decrease is mainly due to field interventions carried out by control teams, as well as the beginning of the migration of swarms and adult insects towards the summer breeding areas in the Sahel countries.

Morocco treated a total of 2,375 hectares in July, representing the largest area addressed by field interventions in the broader West African region during that month. Earlier in July, immature adult locusts were observed in southeastern Morocco, particularly between the Tata and Foum Zguid areas, as well as north of Tiznit and between Guelmim and Foum El Hisn. These observations included locusts in both gregarious and transitional phases, mixed with isolated hopper stages nearing their final molt.

By the latter half of July, control efforts proved highly successful, leading to a significant decrease in the pest's presence. Subsequent surveys confirmed no new swarms or groups of desert locusts in these southern regions. The northeastern area near Midelt also showed no significant locust activity. The FAO anticipates that remaining adult locusts will continue their southward migration to Mauritania and coastal areas for maturation and breeding. However, the possibility of limited hopper populations persists in some southeastern pockets of Morocco due to localized breeding in July.

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The adult insects remaining will continue their movement and migration south towards Mauritania and coastal areas to complete the maturation and summer reproduction process.

The FAO's Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS) emphasizes the need for continued and intensified survey and monitoring operations in Morocco, southern Algeria, and Libya, as well as in Sahelian countries that have experienced recent rainfall. These conditions could provide favorable breeding grounds. The DLIS utilizes advanced remote sensing, satellite imagery, and digital field systems like eLocust4 and the eLocust3K smartphone application for its monitoring efforts.

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The possibility of limited hopper populations remains in some southeastern pockets of Morocco, due to localized, small-scale breeding during July.