Egyptian farmers fearful as locust threat looms

A child from the Egyptian governorate of Qallubia holds a red desert locust after an invasion of his family's field in 2004. (Photo: Amr Emam/IRIN)

During January, immature locusts known as "hoppers" formed bands and swarms along the coastal plains of the Red Sea, increasing locust numbers significantly in southeastern Egypt, northeastern Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia, FAO said in its January bulletin.

Despite "substantial" ground control operations in these countries, "more swarms are expected to form in northeast Sudan and southeast Egypt in the coming weeks," it added in a 17 February update on its website.

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