Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan exchange experience on the practical use of drones in locust management
From 7 to 10 July 2026, three experts from the Agency on Plant Protection and Quarantine of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Uzbekistan, visited the Turkestan Region of Kazakhstan. They were hosted by the Republican State Institution “Republican Methodological Centre for Phytosanitary Diagnostics and Forecasts” under the State Inspection Committee on Agro-Industrial Complex, MoA, Kazakhstan. The visit aimed to strengthen regional cooperation and facilitate the exchange of practical experience in the application of modern technologies for locust management, with focus on the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones). Participants received both theoretical and field-based information on the organization of locust monitoring and control activities in Turkestan, including field visits to the Kazygurt, Baidibek, and Sozak districts.
Kazakhstan and FAO launch a new locust project for improving monitoring and forecasting through AI and drones
On 22 July, FAO and Kazakhstan officially launched three new projects under the FAO–Kazakhstan Partnership Programme (FKPP) during an inception workshop, which included the exchange of signed official documents in presence of the FAO Deputy Regional Representative and Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan. In this framework, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Republican Methodological Centre of Phytosanitary Diagnostics and Forecasts and the Kazakh Research Institute of Plant Protection and Quarantine, FAO will develop modern geospatial and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including based on drones, for collecting, analyzing and forecasting locust monitoring and treatment data.
Regional training in Uzbekistan strengthens capacities in locust and grasshopper identification
FAO and the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) co-organized a regional training on the identification of locusts and grasshoppers, including the saxaul humpback grasshopper (Dericorys albidula), in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on 29 June-4 July 2026. This highly specialized training brought together eight locust specialists, i.e. two from Kazakhstan, two from Turkmenistan and four from Uzbekistan. The six-day training combined field surveys and specimen collection in Bukhara region with classroom sessions on acridid taxonomy, morphology and identification techniques in Bukhara city.
Biopesticide treatments against locusts successfully conducted in Tajikistan
Treatments using the biopesticide Metarhizium acridum were carried out against Moroccan and Italian locusts in Tajikistan during the 2026 campaign, with very good results. The treatments were conducted by the State Entity "Locust Control Expedition" (SE-LCE) under the Ministry of Agriculture. In total, 200 hectares (ha) were treated, including 10 ha against 2nd–3rd instar Moroccan locust hoppers on 18 April in Tursunzoda, Districts of Republican Subordination, and 190 ha in May in Zafarabad district, Sughd region.
General situation during June 2026
Moroccan Locust (DMA) lifecycle completed in the southern parts of Central Asia (CA); fledging, mating and egg-laying continued in other parts, as well as in the Caucasus and the Russian Federation. Italian Locust (CIT) fledging started in southern CA while hatching and hopper development continued in other parts of CA, Caucasus and the Russian Federation. Migratory Locust (LMI) hatching and hopper development continued in Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. In July, DMA lifecycle will come to an end everywhere, and CIT natural die off will start in CA. In Caucasus, the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, CIT will start fledging and mating. LMI hopper development will continue in the northern and western regions of Kazakhstan and in the Russian Federation.
General situation during May 2026
Moroccan locust (DMA) hopper development was almost completed in Central Asia (CA); mass fledging and mating started, as well as egg-laying in the southern areas. DMA hatching was observed, followed by hopper development, in Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Russian Federation. DMA situation in May was classified as a threat by all CA countries and as calm in Caucasus and the Russian Federation. Italian locust (CIT) hatching continued in Kazakhstan and started in other affected Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) countries, followed by hopper development. The situation was classified as a threat in the Central Asian countries where it is present, and a calm in Caucasus and in the Russian Federation. Migratory locust (LMI) hatching started in Kazakhstan and in the Russian Federation.
Locusts and grasshoppers are serious threats to food security and livelihoods, agriculture and economies in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA). Three locust pests, the Italian (CIT), the Moroccan (DMA) and the Migratory (LMI) locusts, jeopardize food security and livelihoods in both regions as well as in adjacent areas of northern Afghanistan and southern Russian Federation. Over 25 million hectares of cultivated areas are potentially at risk with 7.6 million hectares infested annually and nearly 4 million hectares treated annually, with associated risks on human health and the environment.
Locusts have a high capacity to multiply, form groups, migrate over relatively large distances (they can fly up to 150 km per day) and settle and breed in various habitats. These capacities enhance their pest status at regional level. Locusts are becoming even more dangerous in the context of exceptional weather events associated with climate change, due to their very high capacity to take advantage of new situations.
Current Locust Situation
No. 111 June 2026
30/07/2026
Moroccan Locust (DMA) lifecycle completed in the southern parts of Central Asia (CA); fledging, mating and egg-laying continued in other parts, as well as in the Caucasus and the Russian Federation. Italian Locust (CIT) fledging started in southern CA while hatching and hopper development continued in other parts of CA, Caucasus and the Russian Federation. Migratory Locust (LMI) hatching and hopper development continued in Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.
Caucasus and Central Asia - Countries
Key Facts
- 10 countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
- 3 locust pests: Italian (Calliptamus italicus), Moroccan (Dociostaurus maroccanus) and Asian Migratory (Locusta migratoria) Locusts.
- 25 million ha of cultivated areas under threat and at least 20 million people at risk, including the most vulnerable rural populations.
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