Damascus-Sana
The Damascus Countryside Agriculture Directorate announced the formation of survey teams and investigated desert locusts in all its regions to monitor and control them if they entered the governorate's territory.
The Director of Agriculture, Eng. Irfan Ziada, stated in a statement to SANA that the teams have been linked to sub-operations rooms that have been established in 14 agricultural departments in Damascus countryside, all of which will be in direct and permanent contact with a central emergency committee whose mission is to organize an investigation campaign and set plans to combat desert locusts and follow up their implementation in the field through mapping For locust sites, potential itineraries, monitoring their movement, and supervising the control and investigation process on a 24-hour basis.
Ziada pointed out that the necessary sprinklers, control machines and field vehicles were equipped, as 11 hydraulic tractors were equipped with spray tanks 9, including a 1500-liter trailer and 2 portable 500-liters to be used for immediate intervention in the event that locusts were detected in the fields.
In the context, Ziada pointed to the emergence of an infection with the Sunn insect in the fields planted with wheat crops, with an area of 85 hectares, in the areas of Qatana, al-Kiswah, Harran al-Amamid and Ghouta, where it has been combated and investigation and control operations are still ongoing, stressing that the general condition of other crops and winter vegetables is good.
Bushra Barhoum