From PoAndPo Agrifish:
Panama on alert for possible Central American locust infestation
Farmers in Panama are currently on alert for the possible arrival of a Central American locust plague (Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons), a migratory species of grasshopper that destroys the foliage of crops within hours.....MORE
The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) began training technical personnel to identify and implement control of the scourge, which could reach the territory of the border provinces of Chiriquà and Bocas del Toro from neighboring Costa Rica.
MIDA's Plant Health Director, Olegh Aguilar, explained to the press that the technicians must master the elements necessary to manage the biology, pest patterns and life cycle of these insects, so that they can immediately recognize their presence and behavior.
The International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA), based in El Salvador, issued an alert for the region to increase phytosanitary surveillance to detect outbreaks and carry out timely controls of this pest, mainly for the first generation that began with the May rains and would last until next September....
On the subcontinent the locusts have crossed northern India into Nepal and appear to be staging for an attack over the Himalayas into China.
