Locust outbreak spreads further across northern provinces
The yellow-spined bamboo locust outbreak is expanding in northern provinces despite the best efforts of surveillance teams at central and local level to control the insects with chemical spraying. The locust population currently is expanding in 750 locations, involving 309 villages in 24 districts of five provinces, according to an Agriculture Department report. Crops including sweet corn, cassava and rice have been destroyed by the insects with the damage expected to affect more than 9,000 hectares. Luang Prabang province has recorded yellow-spined bamboo locust outbreaks in 428 locations involving 196 villages of eight districts across an area of 3,000 hectares, while 325 hectares or 133 sites in 67 villages have competed spraying to destroy the insects. Phongsaly province found 72 locations in 25 villages of three districts affecting around 155 hectares, of which 144 hectares or 71 sites in 25 villages have completed spraying.
