Since the end of May an immense cloud of desert locusts began to tour various countries in South America. First it was Paraguay, then Argentina and now they threaten to reach Brazil and Uruguay, generating alarm for their destructive power in crops and pastures.
The Brazilian government declared a phytosanitary emergency in two of the southern states of the country due to the risk that their plantations will be attacked by swarms of these animals. which is located in the north of Argentina.
This migratory pest, one of the most destructive on the planet, has been very active throughout the year. In Africa countries like Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia have already faced two waves of these insects that threaten to starve 12 million people, whose subsistence depends on the crops that these insects destroy. This African region is awaiting the arrival of a third wave, which is expected to register in the coming weeks.
Asia also does not escape the presence of animal destroyers. This Saturday a peripheral city of New Delhi, in India, faced the presence of the plague that was posted on terraces and windows of houses until strong winds swept them away. In their destructive step, the locusts also reached Nepal, which it represents a new threat to the food security of this country in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Given its expansion and what its presence means in different regions of the world, including South America, we tell you what its main characteristics are and why they have such a destructive power.
What is the locust plague and what are its scopes?
Locusts are one of the oldest migratory pests in the world and have devastated the planet’s crops for centuries. When its immense swarms infest many countries and spread over several regions or continents, they become a plague, which according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), They can affect up to 20% of the regions of the Earth, putting at risk the livelihoods of a tenth of the world population and seriously affecting their food security.
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The locust belongs to a group of insects called grasshoppers. However, they differ from other species in that they have the ability to change their behavior and habits and can migrate over great distances. They swarm, which can be dense and highly mobile, as they can fly up to 150 kilometers a day if the winds are favorable. These swarms are capable of devouring large amounts of vegetation and crops.
A small swarm of lobsters can eat the same as 35,000 people in one day. Photo: FAO
Locust swarms can range from less than a square kilometer to more than 1,000 square kilometers. In each of them, there can be between 40 million and up to 80 million adult lobsters, according to FAO information. Each insect is able to ingest its own weight in plants each day. Because of this, it is easy to see the devastating effect that a locust infestation can have on the food security of the affected regions. When a pest develops, it can take several years and hundreds of millions of dollars in resources to control it.
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