FAO, IOFS Strengthen Locust Monitoring in Central Asia

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), held a specialised regional training in Bukhara Region to improve the early detection of locusts and strengthen Central Asian countries’ preparedness to prevent threats to agriculture.

The increased focus on monitoring is linked to recent mass locust gatherings recorded in several parts of Uzbekistan, including Bukhara Region. As the country’s competent authorities previously explained, the natural phenomenon was local and seasonal and did not damage agricultural crops or pastures.

At the same time, such cases highlight the need for continuous monitoring, timely risk assessment and the training of highly qualified specialists.

The training brought together experts from plant protection and locust control services in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It was organised under FAO’s Programme to Improve National and Regional Locust Management Systems in the Caucasus and Central Asia, funded by international partners, as well as the IOFS Programme on Transboundary Pest Management.

The event was held in close cooperation with the Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection under Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The main objective of the training was to improve specialists’ skills in identifying locust species, enhance the quality of field surveys, develop forecasting systems, and strengthen early warning and rapid response mechanisms.

Experts noted that accurate species identification is a key stage in effective locust population management. Different species vary in their biology, distribution and potential threat to agriculture, requiring scientifically based monitoring and control methods.

The training programme combined theoretical sessions with fieldwork. Participants conducted surveys in the Jondor, Peshkun and Romitan districts of Bukhara Region, collecting samples of various locust and grasshopper species for further analysis. The practical sessions allowed participants to reinforce modern survey, identification and sampling methods directly in the insects’ natural habitats.

During the theoretical sessions, specialists studied the morphology, taxonomy and ecology of major economically significant locust species in Central Asia, their life cycles and methods for identifying different stages of development.

Particular attention was paid to species of the Dericorys genus, including the saxaul locust (Dericorys albidula), as well as the creation of reference collections and the use of biological pest control methods.

The training was conducted by FAO Senior Locust Management Expert Alexander Latchininsky and Furkat Gapparov, leading researcher at the Research Institute of Quarantine and Plant Protection under the Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Following the training, participants’ practical skills in identifying major locust species and stages of development were assessed. They also discussed opportunities to apply the knowledge gained in national monitoring and forecasting systems.

The organisers stressed that such initiatives help strengthen regional cooperation, promote the exchange of scientific information and improve coordination among Central Asian countries in combating transboundary pests.

Building professional capacity, improving monitoring systems and expanding international cooperation can help shift from responding to the consequences of locust population outbreaks to preventing them in a timely manner.

This approach helps protect crops and pastures, strengthen food security and preserve the livelihoods of rural populations in the region.