Madagascar faces food crisis over locust plague
Madagascar needs more than $41 million to eliminate the severe locust plague that is threatening the country’s crop production as well as the food security of more than half of the country’s population, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.
According to FAO, $22 million is needed by June to fight the plague through a large-scale aerial spraying campaign, and an additional $19 million is required to implement a three-year strategy to address this national disaster.
“We know from experience that this plague will require three years of anti-locust campaigns. We need funds now to procure supplies and to timely set-up the aerial survey and control operations,” said Senior Officer and Coordinator of the FAO locust response, Annie Monard.
About half of Madagascar is currently infested by hoppers and flying swarms. Each swarm is made up of billions of plant-devouring insects. In November, the ministry of agriculture declared a national disaster in view of the deteriorating situation and in December it requested technical and financial assistance from FAO to coordinate and implement an emergency response.
The agency estimates that about two-thirds of the island country will be affected by the locust plague by September if no action is taken. “Failure to respond now will lead to massive food aid requirements later on,” said the Director of the FAO Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, Dominique Burgeon.
The plague now threatens 60 per cent of the country’s rice production, a staple crop in Madagascar, where 80 per cent of the population lives on less than $1 per day. The locust swarms are also consuming green vegetation that might normally serve as pasture for livestock.