The Russian Federation has donated Ksh300 million to help in the fight against locusts in Kenya.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) through a statement on Wednesday, April 29, stated that it had received funds from Russia to aid in mitigating the menace that has since affected countries in East Africa.
Since first entering Kenya through North Eastern, in December 2019, the desert locust has moved to cause serious destruction to food crops in the country.
"We are grateful to the Russian Federation for its contribution to help fight the alarming impact of the Desert Locust upsurge. It will help efforts to stop the spread of the locusts and to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and their families who are at risk from this scourge," FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu stated.
Millions of people have been affected in the country since the invasion, which was termed as the worst in decades.
FAO has appealed for an assistance package inclusive of surveillance and control operations, pesticides and their means and delivery (agricultural leases, mobile and portable sprayers), as well as food, fodder, and seeds for farmers and pastoralists in the affected regions.
The money donated by Russia will be deployed towards the purchase of fuel, pesticides, vehicles and sprayers, as well as employment and training of personnel for the elimination of the pest.
FAO stated that the situation worsened in 2020 with climatic conditions favouring the widespread breeding of the desert locusts.
The UN agency has since considered the fight against the locusts in East Africa as one of its top priorities.
Kenya embarked on the spraying of the insects, however, reports have since emerged that the pesticides may be hurting other useful insects.
On April 14, 2020, it was reported that the locusts had adapted to the pesticides deployed in the country and were still destroying vegetation.
Since the start of the invasion, over 110,000 hectares of vegetation have been wiped out by the destructive insects, threatening the country's food basket.
