Locusts Invade Fields in Northern Dagestan
From Times Wire Reports
Swarms of locusts have attacked rice and other crops in northern Dagestan, threatening harvests and winter pastures for more than 1.5 million sheep, Russian regional officials said.
The first insects appeared in three districts June 9 and have covered about 44 square miles, the Dagestani Emergency Committee said.
About 1,200 acres have been treated with pesticides, but cash-strapped local authorities have only 11 specialized chemical-dispersing vehicles and a few sets of knapsack sprayers to fight the swarm.
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