The current upsurge in desert locust attacks could turn into a full-fledged global plague by the end of the year if it spreads to West Africa and the insects begin breeding there, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s senior locust forecasting officer Keith Cressman. A changing climate and the recent cyclonic activity have brought the swarms into India earlier than expected and driven them further east than usual, he added. “Locusts don’t like urban areas, they will simply overfly the urban areas. They will make enough of a bother to scare people, [but] they don’t attack humans, of course. There’s not much to eat in urban areas.

Source: The Hindu May 29, 2020 18:11 UTC