Locust outbreak in Al-Jawf and Marib denied [Archives:2007/1061/Local News]

By: Moneer Al-Omari
SANA'A, June 19 ) Agricultural and pest control officials told media outlets of a desert locust outbreak in Marib and Al-Jawf after it was confined to Al-Mahrah and Hadramout governorates and to a lesser degree in Shabwa governorate. However, such allegations were denied by the general director of the Desert Locusts Control Center, Abdu Al-Rumaih who noted that his center's field committees recorded only single cases of some locusts, but not in swarms.

Al-Rumaih added that the field teams surveyed many areas in Marib and detected single cases of locusts in Al-Falag, with 66 locusts in each hectare. The same finding applies to the Al-Zunimah area, an area planted with grains and fodder, with a lower percentage than recorded in Al-Falag.

Similarly, locals in Marib denied information by official experts, declaring that locusts exist in a very small percentage. Marib Press reported many locals in Marib as saying, “Their governorate is not afflicted by locust,” maintaining that the government improvises such news to receive more support from foreign and international agencies.

Al-Rumaih added that they don't expect any locust outbreaks in other parts of the republic and the locust swarms will remain in the Hadramout's Manoukh, Thamoud and Zamakh regions until September. If rains fall in Marib and Al-Jawf, such rainfall will attract new swarms to those areas.

“Desert locusts