UN food agency says widespread locust infestation in Afghan provinces is ‘huge concern’

RAHIM FAIEZ
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The U.N. food agency is warning that a widespread locust infestation in several Afghan provinces is of “huge concern” and could possibly decimate a quarter of the wheat crop. A statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization, which was dated on Wednesday, says that at least eight of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces have been affected by the Moroccan Locust, ranked among the most economically damaging plant pests in the world. Richard Trenchard, FAO’s representative in Afghanistan, says the “Moroccan Locust outbreak in Afghanistan’s breadbasket is a huge concern. He added that it represents an “enormous threat to farmers, communities, and the entire country.”