The Africa Emergency Locust Control Project (AELP) under the Department of State for Agriculture, yesterday, released the November 2007 monthly locust situation report for The Gambia and the sub-region.

According to the report signed by Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, acting project coordinator of the The Africa Emergency Locust Control Project in The Gambia, there are no reports of locust present in The Gambia and Senegal so far but Surveillance is ongoing and control teams are on normal  alert.

The report indicated that in the Western Region which The Gambia belongs to, the situation remained calm during November 2007 but locust numbers increased slightly from small-scale breeding. According to the Eclo/FAO bulletin, the Desert locust situation worsened in Eastern Africa during the reporting period.

Hatching of eggs and band formation occurred in Ethiopia, swarms were seen in Somalia and eastern Kenya for the first time since 1961.

It is therefore critical and crucial, according to the report, to undertake intensive surveillance and control operations otherwise new swarms will develop and move into the interior of Kenya as small swarms have moved into Egypt and Sudan towards the Red sea where breeding was underway and will continue during the forecast period to January 2008.

On the weather and ecological conditions, the report stated that very little rain fell during November in all regions and yet ecological conditions remained favourable for locust survival in parts of northern Sahel in W/Africa, and for breeding along parts of the Red Sea Coast in Eastern Africa.

The sub-regional locust report then recommended that all efforts should be made to monitor this situation closely and carefully and to undertake control measures.