Mexico’s crops in danger as swarm of locusts approaches

By BBN Staff: Agricultural authorities in Mexico are concerned over the safety of crops growing in the country as a swarm of locusts, which is currently passing over Belize, is headed their way.

On Friday the Plant Health Committee of Quintana Roo (Cesaveqroo) explained that as much as 400 plant species including corn, beans, rice, soybeans, peanuts, sugar cane, chili, tomato, citrus, banana, coconut, and grassland, among others, could be destroyed by the locusts.

According to the Mexican news outlet, Puerto Vallarta Daily News, the government is investing some 25 million pesos, over US$1.10 million on a monitoring and control campaign for the locusts as some 58 million tons of food worth 70 billion pesos (over US$3 billion) could be at stake.

Monitoring will be carried out in the municipalities of Campeche, Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Yucatán. And it consists of three strategic actions. Actions to control the locusts including the use of various chemicals and the use of entomopathogenic fungus diluted in oil.

The Central American flying locust grow up to 6.5 centimeters long and can travel at speeds of up to 124 miles per hour. This insect can wipe out acres of crops and entire grasslands in relatively short periods of time which could be economically devastating to Mexico, especially since the country’s tourism sector is already suffering due to the COOVID_19 pandemic.

On July 14, Breaking Belize News (BBN) reported that the swarm of locusts were seen around 6:30 p.m. nеаr Fаlсоn Fіеld іn Ѕаn Іgnасіо, Сауо. Corn fаrmеrѕ іn Ѕраnіѕh Lооkоut аlѕо rероrtеd lосuѕt ѕіghtіngѕ іn thеіr fіеldѕ еаrlіеr that tоdау. See full story here.

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