Hopper bands continue to form along the Nile River in Sudan

The Desert Locust situation continues to be serious in northern Sudan where a few groups of adults are still laying eggs, hatching is in progress and hoppers are forming small bands near crops along a 1,000 km stretch of the Nile Valley between Wadi Halfa and Ed Damer. Survey and control operations are in progress against mainly second instar hopper bands to prevent new swarms from forming in May.

Hoppers hatching and forming bands along Nile River in Sudan

The Desert Locust situation continues to remain serious in the Central Region. Hopper bands and swarms continued to form in the winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea during March. Locust numbers declined after mid-March due to control operations, dry vegetation and migration to the Nile Valley in Sudan and Egypt, and northwards to the Sinai Peninsula, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.

La situation relative au Criquet pèlerin est restée préoccupante en février dans les aires de reproduction hivernale le long des deux rives de la mer Rouge, où les infestations acridiennes ont continué à augmenter.

The Desert Locust situation remained worrisome during February in the winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea where locust infestations continued to increase. Adults formed groups and swarms in Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia. Some of these moved into crops along the Nile River in northern Sudan, laid eggs and caused damage, while a limited number of groups and swarms moved north along the Egyptian coast where they could eventually threaten the Nile Delta. Substantial control operations were carried out by the three countries.

The Desert Locust Situation improved in the Sahel of West Africa as locust numbers declined during December due to control operations in Niger and Mauritania and drying conditions. On the other hand, the situation remained serious in winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea where adult groups and small swarms laid eggs, giving rise to hopper bands in Egypt, Sudan and Saudia Arabia.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Firmer production estimates for 2012 confirm tightening wheat and maize supplies while the outlook for rice remains positive. In spite of a contraction in overall cereal utilization in 2012/13, the world cereal stock-to-use ratio is projected to decline by 2 percentage points from the previous season.

Link: Desert Locust Bulletin No. 410 (3 Dec 2012)

La situation relative au Criquet pèlerin est restée préoccupante en octobre avec la formation de bandes larvaires de deuxieme génération au Niger et au Tchad et celles de petits essaims au Tchad. La situation est probablement similare dans le nord du Mali mais cela n'a pas pu etre confirmé en raison de l'insécurié.