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Desert Locust Bulletin 327 (December 2005) [EN/AR]

Countries
Algeria
+ 11 more
Sources
FAO
Publication date

General Situation during December 2005
Forecast until mid-February 2006

The Desert Locust situation remained generally calm during December. Control operations declined along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border where small swarms were present during the first week. Adults that escaped control moved out of this area and reached the spring breeding areas in western Pakistan by mid-month. Small scale breeding continued in western Mauritania and southern Algeria where limited ground control operations were required in both countries. So far, only small-scale breeding has occurred on the Red Sea coast in Sudan in the Tokar Delta but locust numbers remained low. During the forecast period, breeding is expected on both sides of the Red Sea and could commence in northern Mauritania and Western Sahara where good rains fell in December.

Western Region. Small-scale breeding continued during December in western and central Mauritania for the fourth consecutive month. As a result of a gradual increase in locust numbers as well as a shift from solitarious to transiens locusts, ground control operations were conducted in a few areas. Scattered adults were present in northwest and northern Mauritania where ecological conditions improved and small-scale breeding commenced near Zouerate and could start in other areas in the coming weeks. Limited control operations were also carried out against hoppers and adults in southern Algeria. Scattered solitarious adults were present in parts of Tamesna, Niger. Low numbers of solitarious adults are likely to persist during the forecast period in parts of northern Mali and Niger, and perhaps in southern Algeria.

Central Region. Small-scale breeding continued during December in the winter breeding areas along the Red Sea coast in Sudan in the Tokar Delta where scattered hoppers and adults were present. Isolated adults were present in subcoastal areas in northeast Sudan and near two farms in southern Egypt. In Yemen, ecological conditions remained favourable in some places along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coastal plains where hoppers and adults were present. During the forecast period, small-scale breeding will continue in the Tokar Delta and on the northern Tihama coast in Yemen. Limited breeding could also occur on the Red Sea coast in southeast Egypt where good rains fell in late December and, if more rainfall occurs, on the northern coast in Eritrea and central Tihama coast in Yemen.

Eastern Region. Ground control operations treated several small immature adult groups and swarms along both sides of the border in Rajasthan, India and Cholistan, Pakistan in early December. Thereafter, scattered mature adults appeared in eastern Pakistan and they moved progressively west across the Indus Valley and reached the spring breeding areas in coastal Baluchistan, western Pakistan at mid-month. Small-scale breeding will take place along the coast and in the interior of Baluchistan if rainfall occurs during the forecast period but low temperatures, especially in the interior, may delay hatching and hopper development.