Substantial Locust Outbreaks Underway In West Africa, Saudi Arabia

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Rome - "A locust plague is threatening several west African nations and could affect the Middle East this spring, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned on Monday.

In a statement, the Rome-based agency said exceptional rains last summer had initiated locust breeding over wide areas, with another exceptional rainfall in October 2003 allowing further generations of locusts to breed sufficiently to produce swarms.

"The locust situation continues to deteriorate in the western and northern areas of Mauritania, and in the Western Sahara," FAO said. "Those that escape control are likely to move into Algeria and Morocco within a matter of weeks or even days, where a further cycle of breeding may take place in spring."

FAO said a locust outbreak was also in progress on the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia and warned that despite intensive control operations, some of these were expected to move into the central interior of the country where a further generation of breeding could occur."

EDIT

[aquart]

1. Signs and portents.

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2. aye

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