Nairobi — Locusts pose a threat to Kenya and Ethiopia hence the need to control their populations.

The Desert Locust Control Organization executive committee says if locusts, quelea birds, army worms and other migratory pests are not controlled they may eat all the crops and pastures.

The committee is holding a five-day meeting at Sunset Hotel, Kisumu, chaired by Tanzania's Yusuf Nyakunga.

Participants are drawn from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

The organisation's director Peter Odiyo said the meeting was necessitated, in part, by outbreaks of desert locusts on the western, northern and Sahelian parts of Africa, and on the African side of the Red Sea.

Between July and December 2004, several parts of Sudan were invaded by locusts at their different stages of development.

Reports from Food Agricultural Organisation reveal that in January, 2005, several small swarms reached breeding areas along the Red Sea. Control operations were carried out in both countries.

Tree locusts were cited in Nanyuki in August 2004 and in NE Uganda in September, 2004.

Odiyo said although economic constraints had affected his organisation's successes, member states had shown interest in supporting pest management.

Contributions for 2004/2005 so far have reached $1, 407, 956.59 (or 73 per cent of the approved budget of US$1, 923, 000).

More contributions from Sudan and Kenya are in the pipeline before the end of June, he said.

The workshop is a follow-up to the deliberations of the 49th Regular Session of the Council of Ministers of Agriculture of the member states, which was held in Bashir Dar, Ethiopia, in September, 2004.