Plague of locusts have swarmed over much of Madagascar. The locust plague now threatens much of the country’s rice crops, a staple of the Madagascar, where 80 percent lives on $1 or less per day.
A intense plague of locusts has swarmed over half of Madagascar, putting crops at risk in the island African nation.
A United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization said the locusts could raise the possibility of a food shortage.
The agency said that Madagascar needs more than $41 million to deal with the locust plague. Of that, $22 million is needed to carry out an airborne spraying campaign and the other $19 million is needed to address the disaster over the coming years.
“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,” Senior Officer and Coordinator of the FAO locust response, Annie Monard, said in a release earlier this week.
The locust swarms are made up of billions of ravenous, plant-eating insects.
“Failure to respond now will lead to massive food aid requirements later on,” stated the Director of the FAO Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, Dominique Burgeon.
The agency has estimated that around two-thirds of Madagascar will be affected by the plague by September if no action is taken in the immediate future.
Locusts now threaten around 60 percent of Madagascar’s rice crops, a staple in the country, it said. Madagascar is a poor country, with more than 80 percent of the population living on less than $1 per day.
As the locusts eat up crops, the food agency said that 60 percent of the 22 million people living on the island will suffer worsening hunger and food insecurity.
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