Footages from the Bukhara province circulated on social networks, showing swarms of insects flying along roads, over fields and at night amassing in populated areas around light sources.
The Ministry of Agriculture's Plant Protection Agency said it was "taking the necessary measures to tackle the spreading of insects." In particular, on the evening of June 9, the workers of the locust and mulberry moth control service carried out chemical treatment on the Gazli neighbourhood in the Romitan district of Bukhara province. “The risk of the spread of harmful insects has been eliminated,” the department said.
Later, on June 11, the agency reported that it was carrying out chemical treatment against locusts in Karakalpakstan, Navoi, Bukhara and Samarkand provinces at night and in the morning.
Meanwhile, the department emphasized that the locust species, which is now migrating through the desert provinces of Uzbekistan, feeds on saxaul and does not pose a threat to crops and pastures. Chemical treatment measures are thus aimed at protecting saxaul plantations.
Every few years, migratory locusts gather in swarms of millions of people that migrate over distances of over 300 km. During such migrations, insects can cause serious damage to the agricultural sector.
In September 2023, the Plant Protection Agency received eight specially equipped Toyota Hilux vehicles as part of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) project to improve locust control. Pickup trucks have been converted to carry sprayers for locust control.
