The Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement clarifying how to combat the locust and yellow rust pests, addressing the topic from two angles:
1. Aerial control using pesticides provided by the ministry, which are sprayed annually by the Lebanese army helicopters under the supervision of specialized engineers from the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry announced that it has started preparing tenders for the purchase of the necessary agricultural pesticides to combat the locust in wheat fields in the Beqaa and Baalbek-Hermel governorates and Akkar governorate, starting from August 2023. These tenders were launched through the Public Procurement Authority, but despite being relaunched more than three times, no contractors have submitted bids, and the last opportunity will be in April 2024.
2. The technical teams in the Ministry of Agriculture have begun field inspections in wheat fields in the three governorates, starting from early March 2024 until the date of the statement, in collaboration with the Agricultural Scientific Research Authority. The situation on the ground is as follows: - There are 3 insects per square meter, noting that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations does not warn of a potential risk from the presence of fewer than 5 insects of the locust pest. - The Ministry of Agriculture does not recommend starting control operations until exceeding the critical threshold of the pest, in order to maintain ecological balance. - The technical teams responsible for field inspections also noted the presence of yellow rust infections in some fields, and consequently, the ministry started preparing the necessary documents to combat these two pests, while recommending specific types of registered and approved pesticides allowed for use worldwide, to remain ready when the time for spraying arrives.
