Delayed reactions

By Mohamed Salem

---

Locusts are predictable. They breed in certain areas and their movements are monitored by several agencies using remote sensory equipment to keep track of where locusts congregate, when they mature and where they lay eggs. Governments are furnished with timely warnings for precautions to be taken. The swarms that invaded Egypt in recent weeks were no exception. They originated in North Africa and the World Health Organisation noted their route and gave Egypt advance notice.

The Agriculture Ministry should have sent aircraft to spray the swarms at the borders, not wait until they arrived close to agricultural land. The warning was received in Eid Al-Fitr and the response was slow. The Agriculture Ministry acted as if the locusts were a surprise though Egyptian experts had been monitoring their progress. Samples from various sites showed clearly that some of the locusts had reached maturity and were capable of laying eggs that will hatch in a few months. It is a problem that must be addressed.

Once the locusts arrived panic spread. Massive amounts of insecticides, pulled out of storehouses in a hurry, were used at random. Some were outdated and some ineffective with this type of insect. This, and the burning of tyres, caused the locusts to disperse rather than killing them. Now the Agriculture Ministry is adopting more appropriate methods, but it should have done so earlier.

This week's Soapbox speaker is head of the Economic Entomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University.