UN body in Afghanistan thanks India for aid in combating locust threat

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Afghanistan thanked India for supplying 40,000 litres of Malathion, a pesticide used to fight locust menace.

"Good to see we have allies in the struggle against #locusts in Afghanistan; thanks to the support of @IndianEmbKabul," the Food and Agriculture Organization of UN in Afghanistan stated on X.

The 40,000 litres of malathion pesticide were supplied in two trucks and officially handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan government.

Malathion, known for its efficacy in arid regions and minimal water usage, is considered a crucial tool in locust control. The aid not only addresses the immediate threat in Afghanistan but also serves to prevent the spread of locusts to neighbouring Central Asian countries.

Earlier, the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Agriculture also expressed gratitude for this assistance made through the Chabahar port.

The assistance not only helps in preventing locusts in Afghanistan, but also prevents locusts from Central Asian countries, especially Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and is effective on crops in the region.

Locusts are voracious in nature and are known for their vegetation-destroying abilities and their large-scale presence may potentially threaten food security.

The locust menace was at its worst in neighbouring Pakistan in early 2020, when the country declared a national emergency.

At the same time, India too witnessed a large-scale locust incursion in several states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, some parts of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.