Video footages circulated on social networks showing an invasion of locusts on the A380 highway connecting the Bukhara and Khorezm provinces, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

According to the Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection, a flock of saxaul humpbacked locusts was found in this area. In response, two teams of the Bukhara Province Locust and Silkworm Control Service carried out chemical treatment on an area of ​​4,509 hectares.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that 15 units of special equipment were involved in these areas. Particular attention is being paid to the Gazli massif, as well as the Romitan, Karakul and Taylak districts, where monitoring continues. "The situation is completely under control," the ministry assured.

As of May 10, monitoring covered 472.7 thousand hectares throughout Uzbekistan. The spread of harmful locusts has been detected on 267.2 thousand hectares, of which 244.5 thousand hectares have already been chemically treated. As of May 11, another 12.3 thousand hectares were treated in the Shurchinsky district of the Surkhandarya province.

“We would like to especially note that the saxaul humpbacked locust does not harm agricultural crops. The operational headquarters in the provinces are studying the appeals, the identified outbreaks are eliminated in a short time,” the report says.

According to climatologist Erkin Abdulkhatov, the situation does not pose a serious threat, unlike last year’s invasion of Moroccan locusts around the city of Gazli. However, it is necessary to prevent the possible their spread.

The Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection called on the public to report infested areas by phone: 1288 or 71-202-10-00. The agency's official social media pages publish contact information for the heads and chief agronomists of provincial locust and silkworm control services. All services and chemicals are provided free of charge.