Swarms of desert locusts crossing countryside are harmless, says official

Dubai: Small swarms of desert locusts spotted in the UAE in the southern and western regions will not pose any threat to farmers, an official at the Ministry of Environment and Water has said.

Acting deputy minister, Abdullah Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz, told Gulf News the swarms have been sprayed and the situation is under control.

Independent swarms of about 10 to 15 common desert locusts have been spotted on the southern Omani and Saudi Arabian border, and in the UAE at Madinat Zayed.

Locusts were seen in Al Ain and a few swarms are likely to move towards Fujairah also, he said.

"We have conducted a survey to control the situation. There are small groups of locusts along the border of Oman and Saudi Arabia and about 55km south of Madinat Zayed.

"This is not a dangerous situation at the moment. We have ground operations ready but the swarms are small," he said.

Every five years or so groups of locusts travel through the Gulf up from Africa and will continue through Saudi Arabia to Iran, and possibly onto India and Pakistan, he said.

"Up till now there is no need for farmers to panic. It is a stable situation. All local authorities are working together. Cooperation is very important for us to treat this responsibly," he said.