Somaliland minister of agriculture plays down the threat of locust in the country

Somaliland government played down the threat of locust on the agricultural yield this year. The minister of Agriculture, Ahmed Mumin Seed, said the agriculture does not pose a threat to the agricultural output of the country this year.

The minister of Agriculture Ahmed Mumin Saeed speaking to CBA addressed the issue of locust infestation spotted in some parts of the country. The minister said the locust is very mobile this year and is unlikely to affect the crops.

Minister Ahmed Mumin reported that the locust was first spotted in June this year but does not pose a big problem and now it’s on the move.

“We are looking for a natural remedy for the infestation that does not harm people and animals. In this regard, negotiations are going on with agencies in Nairobi. Generally, this is not doing much damage right now. As soon it infests an area, it moves on. And god willing it’s going to pass us,” he added.

On the other hand, he said the ministry ceased using pesticides to combat the grasshopper because of its environmental harms. He added that the ministry is looking for a natural remedy to the problem that does not leave environmentally harming effects.

“In the past, we used aircraft spraying pesticides to kill the locust. We found the chemical pesticide to cause harm to the people and animals, and since we have had a plentiful rainy season this year, we decided to cease using that pesticide,” he said.

Locust a danger to agricultural crops was spotted in numerous areas in Somaliland. First, it was in the Awdal region in Harirad district and recently its swarms were reported near Burao, in the Togdheer region.

Minister Saeed urged the farmers to take advantage of the exceptional rainfall this year to increase production. He added that the ministry for the last two years was busy with agricultural extension to raise the capacity of farmers.