Kazakhstan and Russia join forces to combat locusts

An invasion of the insects has been registered at the border of Aktobe oblast in Kazakhstan and Orenburg oblast in Russia. Representatives of the Agricultural Ministries of the two countries have already arrived at the bordering territories. Officials and farmers are concerned that the locusts may destroy the crops: their larvae has already spread almost 800 thousand hectares.

“Grain and wheat we have sown, with so many difficulties, as they say by the sweat of our brows, may die. And it will die very simply by being eaten by locusts,” farmer Gennady Malichenko said.

Chairman of the State Agricultural Complex Inspection Commission of Kazakhstan Agriculture Ministry Saktash Khassenov said that Russian experts are reacting late, as it is the farmers who are responsible for disinfection in Russia.

Mikhail Maslov, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Processing Industry of Orenburg oblast said “We found a common language at the level of our administrations, ministries, departments. We exchange information on a daily basis and are taking all the measures without blaming each other, to jointly perform the work.”

The countries have already bought the necessary chemicals and started treating the territories. The experts now have around two weeks before the first locusts develop from the larvae and at which point combating them becomes extremely difficult.