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AFGHANISTAN LOCUST OUTBREAK

A large-scale locusts outbreak across eight provinces in North and Northeast Afghanistan poses enormous threat to the country’s food security, warns the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Duration 2m47s

Edit Version International

Video Type Video News Release (VNR)

Date 05/25/2023

File size 369.25 MB

Unique ID UF2I32

All editorial uses permitted

Production details and shotlist

UNFAO Source FAO Video

Shotlist STORY: FAO / AFGHANISTAN LOCUST OUTBREAKTRT: 02:47SOURCE: FAORESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREENLANGUAGE: PASHTO / ENGLISH / NATSDATELINE: PLEASE SEE SHOTLIST FOR DETAILS

SHOTLIST

9-10 MAY 2023, BAGHLAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN1. Tracking shot, hoppers of Moroccan Locust jumping2. Close up, hoppers of Moroccan Locust3. Med shot, hoppers of Moroccan Locust jumping4. Tilt up, damaged crops5. Med shot, FAO staff talking with farmers6. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Najibullah, farmer affected by locust outbreak: "The Moroccan locust has destroyed 300 jeribs (60 hectares) of my wheat field and 31 000 jeribs (6 200 hectares) of pastureland in this area, where ten villages are located."7. Wide shot, FAO personnel and farmers sweeping hoppers onto a tarpaulin8. Close up, hoppers being swept onto a tarpaulin9. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Najibullah, farmer affected by locust outbreak: "These locusts hatch from mid-March to mid-April and finish in mid-June. So, dear brothers, we call on you to please help us and find a solution in any possible way."10. Med shot, FAO personnel and farmers holding a tarpaulin11. Wide shot, FAO personnel and farmers holding a tarpaulin filled with hoppers12. Close up, hoppers in a tarpaulin17 MAY 2023, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN13. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Trenchard, Representative in Afghanistan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): "The Moroccan locust is regarded as perhaps the world's most economically impactful plant pest. It eats more than 150 plant species, more than 50 food crops."9-10 MAY 2023, BAGHLAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN14. Wide shot, farmers hitting hoppers with a shovel15. Close up, hoppers being hit with a shovel17 MAY 2023, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN16. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Trenchard, Representative in Afghanistan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): "We were able to mobilize communities thanks to the incredible efforts of five national and international NGO partners to begin mechanical control practices. These have been used in this area for centuries, for hundreds of years.”9-10 MAY 2023, BAGHLAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN17. Med shot, farmer unloading a bag filled with hoppers in a hole dug in the ground18. Close up, hoppers in a hole17 MAY 2023, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN19. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Trenchard, Representative in Afghanistan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): “We need to pre-position to ensure that households who could lose everything can receive the food assistance they may need, but also the agricultural support, emergency agricultural assistance they'll need to get seeds, food back in the fields growing. But also, we need to prepare for next year because another thing about Moroccan locust, it can multiply from year to year, 100 times. What we need to do is to make sure that next year we don't see a far worse outbreak."9-10 MAY 2023, BAGHLAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN20. Wide shot, farmers unloading hoppers in a hole21. Close up, hoppers being unloaded in a hole22. Wide shot, farmers filling with terrain a hole containing hoppers23. Pan right, arid fields

Script A large-scale locusts outbreak across eight provinces in North and Northeast Afghanistan poses enormous threat to the country’s food security, warns the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).The sightings of locust have been made in Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Samangan, Sar-e-Pul and Takhar, with fresh reports coming in from Herat and Ghor provinces.The Moroccan Locust is ranked among the most economically damaging plant pests anywhere in the world. A full outbreak this year could result in crop losses ranging from 700 000 to 1.2 million metric tonnes of wheat, up to a quarter of the total annual harvest, according to FAO. This equivalents to between USD 280 million and USD 480 million in economic loss, as of today's prices in the country.In the Baghlan province farmers like Najibullah have seen their crops ravaged by locusts.SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Najibullah, farmer affected by locust outbreak: "The Moroccan locust has destroyed 300 jeribs (60 hectares) of my wheat field and 31 000 jeribs (6 200 hectares) of pastureland in this area, where ten villages are located."Afghanistan's North and Northeast regions are prone to Moroccan Locust outbreaks. Drought, over-grazing, very limited locust control and the right amount of rainfall in March and April (approximately 100 mm) created this year the ideal environment for locusts to hatch and swarm.In these parts of Afghanistan, Moroccan Locust lay eggs between May and June, depending on environmental conditions, in hilly and rangeland areas. The young locusts hatch from the egg-pods the following year in late March and start feeding on surrounding grasses. This year the hatching started earlier than usual.SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Najibullah, farmer affected by locust outbreak: "These locusts hatch from mid-March to mid-April and finish in mid-June. So, dear brothers, we call on you to please help us and find a solution in any possible way."If the Moroccan locust population is left untreated, it could increase its number by 100-fold in the next year, creating even bigger problems for agriculture and food security in Afghanistan and its neighbours.SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Trenchard, Representative in Afghanistan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): "The Moroccan locust is regarded as perhaps the world's most economically impactful plant pest. It eats more than 150 plant species, more than 50 food crops."Afghanistan used to have a very strong locust control system in place. But this has been heavily eroded in the last two years. Chemical supplies were low across the country, farmers resorted to using traditional mechanical control methods that consist of sweeping locust hoppers onto tarpaulins and then burying them into trenches to reduce outbreak impact.Thousands of people across the affected provinces have been mobilized through FAO’s cash-for-work program to kill the hopper bands before they become adults and swarm. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Trenchard, Representative in Afghanistan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): "We were able to mobilize communities thanks to the incredible efforts of five national and international NGO partners to begin mechanical control practices. These have been used in this area for centuries, for hundreds of years.”FAO is calling for urgent funding to support both traditional and chemical control measures alongside on-the ground surveys to monitor and map locust hatching sites.SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Trenchard, Representative in Afghanistan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): “We need to pre-position to ensure that households who could lose everything can receive the food assistance they may need, but also the agricultural support, emergency agricultural assistance they'll need to get seeds, food back in the fields growing. But also, we need to prepare for next year because another thing about Moroccan locust, it can multiply from year to year, 100 times. What we need to do is to make sure that next year we don't see a far worse outbreak."Moroccan Locust threatens agriculture in steppes, foothills, and arid regions in an area that extends from the Atlantic islands of the Canaries, and Madeira in the west to Kazakhstan and Afghanistan in the east.The last two big outbreaks in Afghanistan, 20 and 40 years ago, caused an estimated loss of 8 and 25 percent of the total annual wheat production. Locust at early stages of life is easier to mechanically control. A month after hatching, the locusts become adults and develop wings, after which they form big swarms which fly to the lowlands and continue damaging agricultural crops. A swarm can fly from 50 to 250 km, depending on the wind strength. Swarm flights can also cross borders with neighbouring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.