The wave of locusts currently swarming some parts of the nation will not cause any damage to crops, declared Agriculture Minister Salah Abdel Momen on Friday.
The locusts are merely storing fat on their bodies while they go on their spring migration outside of Egypt, the minister said, adding that they store the needed fat for over a week to remain light, thus making their journey easier.
The minister made the statement after meeting with President Mohamed Morsy on Thursday evening, during which they discussed the ministry’s plan to combat the locusts, as well as other issues including the fertilizer shortage.
Mo'men stressed that the ministry would be able to manage the locust swarms, which are currently in Aswan and Qena, headed toward Sohag. He added that it is difficult to predict the insects’ migration patterns.
Mo'men warned owners of tourist enterprises overlooking the Red Sea against burning tires to chase the locusts away, because that causes them to disperse and change their course of flight, thus reducing the effectiveness of the ministry’s control mechanisms.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
