10 May 2012, 23:50
Peasants of village of Zemo Alvani hold protest action against Georgian Ministry of Agriculture
On May 9, peasants of the village of Zemo Alvani of the Akhmeta District of Georgia held a protest action, demanding to take measures against locusts, which destroy their crops.
Villagers accuse the Ministry of Agriculture of negligence.
"Locusts destroyed practically everything. Today or tomorrow, pests will reach the village. Apart from the fact that we have losses, we are still afraid. Locusts enter houses. For three days, the Ministry promises to start spraying the territories; however, nobody does anything. Till present, they blamed bad weather. However, today is a clear day. So, why nothing is being done?" the protesters express their indignation.
In the village of Zemo Alvani, locusts have already destroyed 200 hectares of maize, wheat, and rye. Pests have left no grass in the pastures, and farmers have no place to graze their cattle, the "Georgia online" reports.
Locusts are gradually approaching the locality, informs "the Echo of the Caucasus."
No comments of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture are still available, and their position in relation to the claims raised is not known.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that last year the locust invasion in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and parts of Southern Russia has created a threat to food security of about 20 million persons.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced that it would assist in the fight against locusts. The five-year programme is based on the concept of preventive control of insects. The main contribution to the programme was made by the United States, which had allocated 1.6 million US dollars. Russia, France, and Turkey expressed their willingness to support the project.
