NAIROBI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Monday that it had prioritized eradication of desert locusts in Kenya and the greater Horn of African region.
Dominique Burgeon, FAO director for Emergencies and Resilience Division, said that containing the voracious pests is key to boosting food security and transforming livelihoods in Kenya and neighboring countries.
"We are pleased with the role played by the government of Kenya and will continue our partnership to ensure that the desert locust menace is whipped from the country and the Horn of Africa," Burgeon said at a briefing in Nairobi.
He said that about 350 tons of cereals have been secured thanks to a robust fight against desert locusts besides cushioning more than 150,000 households from potential food crisis after 150 hectares of land was sprayed to kill the pests.
Burgeon said FAO will in future prioritize building the resilience of local communities against desert locusts invasion.
Peter Munya, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives said that Kenya has partnered with FAO to strengthen response to desert locusts and other migratory insects in the country.
He said that Kenya has managed to contain the spread of desert locusts thanks to financial and technical support from multilateral institutions. Enditem
