Agricultural authorities in western Afghanistan say that effectively controlling locust infestations requires closer cooperation and coordination between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, as the pests regularly cross the two countries’ shared border.
Bashir Ahmad Ahmadi, Head of Agricultural Affairs at the Herat Directorate of Agriculture, said locusts typically lay eggs during the winter in areas along the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan border. With the arrival of spring and favorable weather conditions, large numbers of insects are carried by winds into the western and northwestern Afghan provinces of Herat, Badghis, and Faryab.
Ahmadi stressed that joint efforts in monitoring, early detection, and pest-control operations are essential to prevent the spread of locust outbreaks and minimize damage to agricultural production on both sides of the border.
He noted that locust-control teams have been active across several districts of Herat since the beginning of the current year. According to provincial agricultural authorities, approximately 51 metric tons of locusts have been collected and destroyed so far as part of the ongoing campaign.
Meanwhile, Omid Taimouri, Chief Executive Officer of the Herat Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, said that around 80 percent of the locust infestation in the province has been brought under control, although eradication efforts remain underway.
Taimouri added that, under an incentive program implemented in cooperation with several local institutions, farmers and residents have received four kilograms of wheat for every kilogram of locusts collected. The initiative was designed to encourage broader community participation in efforts to contain the infestation.
Locust outbreaks pose a recurring threat to agricultural production in western Afghanistan, where farming remains a key source of income and livelihoods for local communities.
