KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — A large-scale outbreak of locusts in Afghanistan’s biggest wheat-producing region is threatening to worsen the country’s already severe hunger crisis, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said.

The latest figures from the United Nations show that 9 million of Afghanistan’s 41 million citizens (nearly 25%) are suffering acute food insecurity, including 1 million in the “emergency level acute food insecurity” category. The country has been embroiled in a civil war throughout most of the 21st century and is now under control of the Taliban following the United States’ withdrawal of troops in August 2021.

The outbreak of the Moroccan Locust covers eight provinces in north and northeast Afghanistan, the FAO said.

“The reports of Moroccan Locust outbreak in Afghanistan’s wheat basket are a huge concern,” said Richard Trenchard, FAO’s representative in Afghanistan.  “The Moroccan Locust eats more than 150 species of plants, including tree crops, pastures and 50 food crops, all of which grow in Afghanistan. It represents an enormous threat to farmers, communities and the entire country.

“The last two big outbreaks, 20 and 40 years ago, cost Afghanistan an estimated 8% and 25% of its total annual wheat production.  Harvest forecasts this year are the best we have seen for the last three years, but this outbreak threatens to destroy all these recent gains and dramatically worsen the food insecurity situation later this year and into next year.”

The Moroccan Locust is ranked among the most economically damaging plant pests anywhere in the world.  The FAO said a full outbreak this year could result in crop losses ranging from 700,000 to 1.2 million tonnes of wheat — up to a quarter of the total annual harvest.  This would translate to between $280 million and $480 million in economic loss.

In these parts of Afghanistan, Moroccan Locust lay eggs between May and June, depending on environmental conditions, in hilly and rangeland areas, the FAO said. The young locusts hatch from the egg-pods the following year in late March and start feeding on surrounding grasses. This year the hatching started earlier than usual.

“The alarm bells rang late, but the FAO, its incredible NGO partners, local communities and local authorities sprang into immediate action,” Trenchard said. “Chemical supplies were low across the country, so we were forced to focus on traditional ‘mechanical control’ methods to reduce the impact of the outbreak.”

If left untreated, the Moroccan Locust outbreak could increase by 100-fold in the next year, Trenchard warned, creating even bigger problems for agriculture and food security for Afghanistan and that of its neighbors, the FAO said.

Wheat consumption has risen in Afghanistan over the last 10 years, while production has remained flat, leading to an increase in imports, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture.