The cloud of locusts in Argentina is once again worrying farmers in southern Brazil. With the higher temperatures, the expectation is that it could reach Rio Grande do Sul by next Wednesday (22). The prediction was made on Saturday afternoon (18) to “Agência Brasil” by the head of the Plant Health Defense Division of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of Rio Grande do Sul, Ricardo Felicetti.
For now, the locust cloud is stable, in Corrientes, Argentina, 130 kilometers from the municipality of Barra do Quaraí in Rio Grande do Sul. Information about the insects is being passed on by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), which is monitoring the situation with the Argentine phytosanitary agency.
“With the rise in temperatures in Rio Grande do Sul this weekend, we are apprehensive, but prepared in case of a possible occurrence of the plague in Rio Grande do Sul. We have an emergency operational plan drawn up as the Ministry of Agriculture”, explained Felicetti.
Alert
He added that, despite the state of alert, today the tendency is for the cloud to move towards the province of Entre Rios, on the border between Argentina and Uruguay. Although they do not pose a direct risk to humans, locusts can, as a group, cause great economic damage, devouring crops in a matter of hours.
If the insects reach the state, Felicetti assesses that the potential for damage is very high, especially in newly planted crops such as wheat and canola. In addition, barley, citrus farming and winter pastures for dairy cattle and beef cattle fattening are also concerns. The guideline is for rural producers to be alert to the arrival of the insects and report their presence immediately to the agricultural defense inspectorate of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development or to the nearest Emater municipal office.
Emergency resources
Last Friday (17), operational issues were discussed with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Ibama, the Secretariat of the Environment and Infrastructure of Rio Grande do Sul and the Henrique Luis Roessler State Foundation for Environmental Protection. “We also talked about the issue of emergency resources to work on suppressing locust outbreaks,” he said.
Paraguay
A second cloud of locusts, which is moving in Paraguay, is also being monitored by Brazil, with less concern. According to the Quality and Plant Health Service (Senave) of the neighboring country, the insects, which were in Madrejón and 4 de Mayio, headed southeast, towards Teniente Pico, in the department of Boquerón, also in Paraguay.
Source: DATA
READ TOO:
{module 441}
{module 442}
