Ongoing unrest has forced the suspension of the aerial pest control campaign in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region, an Ethiopian official said Saturday evening.
Agidew Molla, director of Crop Development and Protection at Amhara Region Agriculture Bureau, said that even though destructive crop pest swarms have been detected in the eastern part of the region, pest control measures have been suspended due to uncertain security situation in affected areas.
Molla said that even though local farmers are undertaking traditional pest control measures, his bureau has been unable to complement these efforts with aerial campaigns, reported regional administration-owned Amhara Media Corporation.
Even though there are sufficient provisions for anti-pest chemicals, the uncertain security situation in the Amhara region has prevented aerial pest campaigns from being done in affected areas, Molla added.
The clashes between federal government-aligned security forces and a local militia known as Fano in the Amhara region forced the Ethiopian government to declare a six-month state of emergency in August.
