Africa Experiencing Worst Locust Outbreak in 25 Years
WASHINGTON, DC – Though it sounds like something from Biblical times, portions of Africa are dealing with their worst locust crisis in 25 years according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Strangely enough, the outbreak is not expected to negatively affect grain production this year as the countries in the Horn region of Africa hit record yields. The current outbreak of the desert locust began almost two-and-a-half years ago following successive rain events in the arid Arabian Desert. Those rains led to abundant vegetative growth, which fueled the locust outbreak in lower-elevation grasslands, but also led to near-perfect conditions in higher-elevation crop regions – thus leading to increased yields for corn, barley, sorghum, and wheat. The Economic Research Service explains that the current situation mirrors that of a less severe locust infestation between 2003 and 2005, during which grain production rose during the height of the outbreak.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)