The growing season is now well underway. Following a somewhat delayed start of the rains, precipitation progressed northwards and eastwards in June, allowing land preparation and plantings of millet and sorghum. Rains eached the south-east of the country in early July. It is estimated that about two thirds of the villages had done their plantings as of late June against only one-third in 1999. Millet and sorghum are emerging or even tillering. Plantings are starting latter in the east, in Diffa and Zinder departments.
Infestations of grasshoppers, army worms and grain eating birds are reported
in some areas, notably in Tahoua and Agadez departments. During the first week
of June, scattered Desert Locusts were seen in central and northern Aïr. The
residual populations previously and currently reported in the Aïr area could
move west towards Tamesna and lay in areas of recent rainfall.
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