Continuing efforts to combat desert locusts in Oman’s Al Sharqiyah, Al Wusta

Muscat: The Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources carried out desert locust surveying and exploration operations in the Governorates of South Al Sharqiyah and Al Wusta.

The results of the survey in the states of Haima, Mahout and Duqm in Al Wusta Governorate revealed that the environmental situation is not suitable for locust breeding as a result of dry ground moisture and dry vegetation.

The results of field surveys and monitoring in the South Al Sharqiyah Governorate indicated that environmental conditions are suitable for desert locust breeding due to good amounts of rain falling during the months of June and July, which contributed to the growth and spread of vegetation over large areas in the governorate.

Field surveys and monitoring carried out local desert locust breeding areas to see the status of the desert locusts and the extent of their spread, and to know the environmental situation of these sites and the availability of a suitable environment for desert locust breeding, which is represented by the presence of wild vegetation and soil moisture as a result of rainfall during the past period.

Engineer Tariq bin Hamoud Al Mandhari, Head of the Pest Control Department, explained about these efforts that all the Ministry’s specialists in the various governorates are periodically and continuously following up on the desert locust situation by carrying out surveys and field exploration on a regular basis in the various regions and governorates of the Sultanate of Oman to know the status of the desert locust and monitor any developments that may occur. Speak and deal with them early, although the results of surveys and early monitoring indicate that the current situation of the desert locust is under monitoring and control and does not require concern, but it does require preparation and preparedness for any developments.

He pointed out that survey and monitoring reports during last August indicate that the desert locust situation in the Sultanate of Oman is a solitary, transitional, dispersed case, with few cases of mating on the eastern coast from south of Ras Al Hadd, for a distance estimated at about 120 kilometers during the first ten days of August. No locusts were detected in the north along the Batinah coast, the inland areas from Buraimi to Adam and in the inland areas of Al Wusta Governorate, west of Duqm.

He stated that the results of the desert locust survey showed the spread of desert locust numbers in a transitional behavior from a solitary state to aggregative, and a group of locusts were seen in a gathering state and in a mating state in several locations, including the Wilayat of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, the Wilayat of Al Kamil and Al Wafi, and the Niyabat of Al Ashkharah. He said that the Ministry is making great efforts to enhance the capabilities of the Sultanate of Oman in this field by strengthening the capabilities of human cadres, enhancing the infrastructure of the Desert Locust Control Center, and providing advanced equipment and specialized pesticides to combat it, noting that the use of “drones” in control operations has contributed to reducing time and effort.