Freshinfo’s correspondent in Israel Aaron Priel reports a serious development in the spread of locusts across the country.
A new wave of locusts landed on Wednesday afternoon in the region of Kibbutz Ein Gedi, on the shores of the Dead Sea. Many millions of pests spread in the region, which poses a real threat to fresh produce and dates crops in an area that relies heavily on the export of fresh produce as an economic driver.
Four crop dusters sprayed non-stop the swarms of locusts that flew with the wind from Sinai, bypassing the Arava and west Negev regions.
Farmers in the region are expressing grave concern that the locusts will destroy their crops, even those cultivated in greenhouses. Harsh climatic conditions, such as heavy rains and strong winds, are forecast for Thursday, planting hopes among farmers and Ministry of Agriculture officials that the spread of the locusts will be curbed naturally and damage to crops will be minimised.
Despite earlier reports suggesting the swarms of locusts that landed in Eilat and the southern and central Arava were unlikely to cause damage to fresh produce, it now appears that they could still pose a problem, as the locusts are still camping in those regions.
No comments yet