Now LOCUST swarm heads towards Brazil as the country struggles to cope with spiralling coronavirus infections
- Swarm of locusts originated in Paraguay and is now moving through Argentina
- There are fears it could move into neighbouring Uruguay and Brazil next
- Brazil is already struggling with one of the world's worst coronavirus infections
- Comes after locust swarms also appeared in eastern Africa and India
A swarm of locusts is threatening to invade Brazil as the country also battles one of the world's worst coronavirus outbreaks.
The swarm - thought to contain 40million insects - formed in Paraguay last month and has been eating its way through Argentina since May 21, damaging crops of cane, oats, wheat and corn.
But nine days ago it made a turn to the east, and is now heading towards the border with Brazil and Uruguay.
A swarm of locusts that has been eating its way through Argentina for a month is now threatening to jump across the border to Brazil
The swarm formed in Paraguay in May and crossed into Argentina on the 21st. It has been moving south for the last month, but nine days ago turned east (large arrow) and is now heading for Brazil and Uruguay (potential paths shown by smaller arrows)
It also comes after two other locust swarms - in India and eastern Africa - also devastated crops in those countries.
Two Brazilian states - Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina - have been put on alert for the arrival of the insects, which can move up to 93 miles in a day.
Experts say the arrival of cold weather and rain in recent days has slowed its progress, making the insects lethargic.
That has allowed environmental workers to fumigate, reducing its size.
However, the arrival of warm weather will wake the insects up - while winds could blow the swarm across the border.
The pests have raised concerns in Brazil.
A representative from the Aprosoja growers association in Rio Grande do Sul said they feared the locusts would enter the state where corn is still being harvested and wheat being grown.
The swarm, thought to number 40million insects, formed in Paraguay and has so far damaged crops of cane, corn, wheat and oats
Eugenio Hack of the Copercampos cooperative in Santa Catarina told Reuters that if the locusts were to move to the state, producers would have to be trained to use the appropriate chemicals, which are different from those normally used.
'My grandfather dealt with locusts many years ago. Farmers used to dig ditches in the ground, cover insects with soil, and then set them on fire,' Hack said.
In Argentina, both SENASA and the Buenos Aires grain exchange said they were less worried by the locust swarm than issues of dry weather impacting crops.
'For now (the swarm) is not a problem, we are more concerned about the humidity issue for wheat planting than locusts,' said Esteban Copati, head of agricultural estimates at the exchange.
That is not the case in Kenya, where farmers say they are suffering through the worst infestation for 70 years - with fodder their cattle graze on being devastated.
Growers in Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda have also warned of food shortages because of the insects.
Meanwhile another swarm hit parts of northern India back in January, before crossing the border into Pakistan and Iran.
Brazil is currently battling one of the world's worst coronavirus infections, with 1.3million confirmed infections and 57,000 deaths (pictured, a graveyard in Sao Paulo)
Locusts are actually solitary grasshoppers that change appearance and body type to become locusts as they form into swarms.
Once the grasshoppers have become locusts they are larger, faster-moving and can breed more rapidly.
It is not known exactly what prompts the insects to swarm, though scientists believe they do it as a reaction to droughts which would otherwise kill off their food supply.
Swarms can then migrate huge distances using a safety-in-numbers approach to ward off potential predators and ensure as many insects as possible survive.
Swarms can number in the billions of insects, and measure the same size as a small city. Researchers estimate that a swarm just one kilometer square can eat the same amount of food each day as 35,000 humans.
No comments: