The E-Committee on CCALM, held on 15 July 2025, involved about 45 Locust Experts from all Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) countries together with FAO specialists and system's developers. This fifth annual meeting of the E-Committee allowed discussing the use of the Automated System for Data Collection (ASDC), including the testing in the system of the Human Health and Environmental Monitoring Form, and of the Geographic Information System (GIS) “Caucasus and Central Asia Locust Management System” (CCALM) during the 2025 campaigns. Improvements of the two systems were also reviewed, as well as the linkages between CCALM and existing national GIS -from the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan- and the possibility to mirror the central CCALM database into national databases for other countries. This E-Committee follows the five annual regional GIS Workshop on locust data collection, analysis, forecast and reporting in CCA, which took place online on 13 March 2025, with up to 45 experts. The GIS workshop had allowed discussing ASDC and CCALM use in 2024 – see available report at:   https://www.fao.org/locusts-cca/activities/locust-gis/gis-workshop-2025/en/. As a reminder, ASDC was created to facilitate collection of field data by locust scouts and control operators (on tablets or mobile phones), which are then transmitted to the GIS CCALM, together with data from other sources, to allow analysis of the locust situation and forecast, and thus contribute to early warning and response. The above meetings were possible thanks to the financial support of the project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and as part of the FAO Programme to improve national and regional locust management in CCA.

A national trial using biopesticide Metarhizium acridum was carried out against Italian locust in June 2025 in Kyrgyzstan. The trial was conducted by the Department of Chemicalization, Plant Protection and Quarantine (DCPPQ), Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, under the guidance of the FAO Biopesticide expert. Biopesticides had been delivered by FAO to that end. Prior to the treatment, spores viability assessment (in lab) showed a satisfactory result of 78%. Control operations were carried out on 12 June in pastures and agricultural fields of Kojomkul village, Jayil district of Chuy region, against Italian locust hoppers, mostly of third instar, with a density of hopper bands from 20 to 200 individuals/m2. Treatments were conducted on 100 hectares using two carriers, i.e. mixing the biopesticide spores with diesel and with vegetable oil (50 hectares each). Mortality assessment was then carried out, following FAO protocol. The results showed high efficiency of the product, with 100% mortality in cages 15 days after the treatments. Additionally, on 25 June, a field day demonstration of the results was held including 20 participants, representing DCPPQ, farmers, local populations and FAO. The participants visited the treated fields and had indoor discussions on the method and biopesticide used, as well as on the results obtained. FAO’s work in Kyrgyzstan and in the whole Caucasus and Central Asian region was presented at this occasion, with a view to support safer locust control. Relevant publications were also distributed. This trial, organized for the second year in a row, was possible thanks to the joint support of the regional project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the FAO Regular Programme, under the FAO Programme “Improvement national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia”.

His Excellency Qurbon Hakimzoda, Minister of Agriculture of Tajikistan, visited the Swiss Center for Locust and Migratory Pests at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The same day, the Center also welcomed a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, led by Ms Assem Abdrimova, Adviser to the Minister. These meetings allowed discussing the current situation, the progress made over the past years and the main current priorities. His Excellency Qurbon Hakimzoda emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in addressing locust challenges, referred to as a priority for his ministry, stating “It is through working together that we can solve this problem.” Ms Assem Abdrimova stressed the importance of locusts in Kazakhstan and the need to train more personnel in using innovative data collection and analysis technologies. It was emphasized that the FAO “Programme to improve national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA)”, implemented across ten countries since 2011, has fostered regional collaboration, trained over 4,000 personnel in locust control, and supplied key equipment for survey and control. An innovative Automated System for Data Collection (ASDC) has been introduced, enabling real-time data transmission to the Geographic Information System (GIS) “Caucasus and Central Asia Locust Management System (CCALM)”. Additionally, ultra-low volume (ULV) spraying with oil-based pesticides was introduced, as well as recently biopesticides in locust control, alongside with pesticide risk reduction measures, including the establishment of Human Health and Environmental Monitoring Teams in six CCA countries to monitor and minimize treatment impacts. This was possible thanks to the support of the resource partners, primarily the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Central Asia. It was reminded that the multi-funded Programme, and the projects which are part of it, promote the locust preventive control strategy by strengthening regional cooperation and national capacities to effectively manage locust issues. The overall objective is to contribute safeguarding food security and livelihoods while reducing the impact of locust control on human health and the environment. At the occasion of these meetings, a presentation was made regarding the monitoring of the desert locust situation, ensured 24/7 by the FAO Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS). Based on data transmitted by the desert locust-affected countries, FAO DLIS assesses the ongoing locust situation, provides forecasts and alerts and provides advice depending on the situation.

The Turkmen Human Health and Environmental Monitoring Team benefited from an on-the-job training, delivered by the FAO Environmental Expert from 10 to 13 June 2025, on adopting risk reduction measures and monitoring the impact of locust control on human health and the environment. After an initial theoretical part in Ashgabat, the field mission took place in the Desht-Sayvan pasture areas of the Baherden district, Akhal region. The members of the Team, which was created in 2024, consist of four experts, two from the Ministry of Agriculture, one from the Ministry of Environment Protection and a medical specialist from the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry. Participants gained hands-on experience in applying FAO’s Standard Operating Procedures on pesticide risk reduction in locust control activities. This included monitoring of sensitive areas, non-target organisms and personal safety. Field exercises focused on monitoring non-target insects in non-cultivated areas, as well as water and vegetation residue sampling. The use of monitoring tools was demonstrated, such as environmental equipment, incident reporting protocols, Pesticide Use Passport and other monitoring and reporting forms. Technical and operational support to the recently created Team in Turkmenistan is provided with the financial support of the regional project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) within the framework of the FAO “Programme to improve national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA)”. 

Three experts from Turkmenistan visited Tajikistan during the ongoing anti-locust campaign, from 26 to 31 May 2025, with a view to exchange information and experience on locust management. The Turkmen locust/plant protection experts, from the Plant Protection Service and the Plant Production Department, Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Turkmenistan, were hosted by the State Entity “Locust Control Expedition” (SE-LCE), MoA, Tajikistan. The programme of the country-to-country visit included meetings with SE-LCE management and staff at the central office as well as a three-day field trip in Khatlon region and the Districts of Republican Subordination (DRS). SE-LCE presented how locusts are managed in Tajikistan, highlighting that the country has a dedicated specialized entity responsible for locust management, which is uncommon in the region. During the visit in Khuroson, Dangara, and Farkhor districts in Khatlon region, Tajik experts showed the equipment used for locust control, including Ultra-low Volume (ULV) vehicle-mounted and Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) tractor-mounted sprayers as well as other equipment and items. The testing of drones against adult Moroccan locust (DMA), used for the first time in 2025 in a limited area in Panj district, was also demonstrated. The team visited and surveyed DMA egg-laying sites in Panj, Kushoniyon and Danghara districts of Khatlon as well as in Tursunzoda of DRS, during which Tajik and Turkmen specialists filled out the survey and control forms using the Automated System for Data Collection (ASDC) on tablets and smartphones. Last, exchanges concerned pesticide risk reduction measures for locust control, in particular regarding the work conducted by the Human Health and Environmental Monitoring Teams, created several years ago in Tajikistan and much more recently in Turkmenistan. The FAO Agricultural Expert (Plant Protection/Locusts) accompanied the Turkmen and Tajik experts during the field trip. Such country-to-country visits, which main objective is to strengthen regional cooperation and facilitate technical exchanges between Central Asian countries, are financially covered by the regional project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as part of the FAO “Programme to improve national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia”.

A locust cross-border survey was conducted for the first time between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, on 2-5 June 2025. The survey covered about 6000 ha in Zhambyl region (Kazakhstan) and in Chuy and Talas regions (Kyrgyzstan). It involved 11 experts, i.e. five experts from the Republican Methodological Centre on Phytosanitary Diagnosis and Forecasts, Ministry of Agriculture, Kazakhstan, and six experts from the Department of Chemicalization, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, Kyrgyzstan. On the Kazakh side, no locusts were observed in ZhuaIyn, Merken and Kordai districts while in Kyzylkainar district (which borders the Uch-Korgon district in Kyrgyzstan), Moroccan locust adults were detected at the start of the mating phase, with an average density of 3–6 individuals/m². The Kazakh Team showed readiness to maintain constant monitoring of this area in order to prevent the locust movements. On the Kyrgyz territory, no locusts were detected during the survey in Jayil, Moskva, Sokuluk, Alamudun, Ysyk-Ata and Chui districts (Chui region), where chemical treatments had previously been carried out on 3500 ha, including on 250 ha border areas of Sokuluk and Jayil districts in border areas. In Frunze village of Panfilov district (Chui), Italian locust hoppers from 1st to 3rd instars were observed with an average density of 1–2 individuals/m². The Kyrgyz Team informed about their plan to conduct treatment in this area within five-six days. In Manas district (Talas region), Moroccan locust in their last instar stage and fledged individuals, as well as other grasshoppers, were detected not exceeding the economic threshold. The Teams noted that the responsible entities of both countries were conducting regular surveys and chemical treatments against locusts, including in border areas, and that no cross-border migration or flights of locusts had been observed. They highlighted that protection of agricultural lands from locust threats in border areas can only be addressed through joint and well-planned efforts by both sides and that special attention should be paid to Zhambyl district (Zhambyl region, Kazakhstan) and Manas district (Talas region, Kyrgyzstan) as well as to Panfilov district (Chui region, Kyrgyzstan) and Merken district (Zhambyl region, Kazakhstan). This successful joint activity  allowed further strengthening of the professional ties as well as timely exchange of information and coordinated actions. The cross-border survey was covered by the regional project “Improvement of locust management (Phase 2)”, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), under the FAO “Programme to improve national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA)”.

In recent years, Afghanistan and Tajikistan have experienced transboundary movements of the Moroccan locust. To enhance information exchange and coordination, FAO, under its “Programme to improve national and regional locust management in the Caucasus and Central Asia,” supported locust surveys carried out simultaneously on both sides of the border, from 5 to 8 May 2025. A team of ten Afghan local experts surveyed the relevant border areas in Afghanistan, while five Tajik specialists were involved in the same areas but on the other side of the border, in Tajikistan. The survey in Afghanistan covered six border districts in the north: Khwaja Ghar, Dasht-e-Qala, Yangi Qala, Khwaja Bahauddin, and Chah Ab of Takhar Province, and Dasht-e-Archi of Kunduz Province. In total, over 699 hectares (ha) were thoroughly surveyed, out of which 351 ha were found infested by Moroccan locust, mostly in the adult stage. The average locust density was 221 individuals/m², ranging from 180 to 290 individuals/m². In Tajikistan, the survey covered approximately 4500 ha across four southern districts of the Khatlon region: Sh. Shohin, Hamadoni, Farkhor, and Panj. An area of 190 ha in these four border districts was found infested by Moroccan locust in final instar stage or undergoing mass fledging, with average densities of 90–100 individuals/m². The infested areas on both sides were promptly treated with chemical insecticides. No transboundary movement was reported during the survey, thanks to the timely control operations conducted by both countries. Both Teams used the Automated System of Data Collection (ASDC) during the survey, especially the Afghan Team, which covered 100 percent of the surveyed areas with this system. The countries agreed to maintain regular communication through email and with the continued facilitation of FAO. The survey in the Afghan side of the border was supported by the FAO office in the country, while the part in Tajikistan was covered by the project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) “Improvement of locust management (phase 2)”.      

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan conducted a locust cross-border survey over 17 500 ha on both sides of the border in Ferghana valley, i.e. in Jalal-Abad, Osh and Batken regions of Kyrgyzstan and in Andijan, Ferghana and Namangan regions of Uzbekistan, from 26 to 31 May 2025. Ten experts attended the survey, five from the Department on Chemicalization, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, Kyrgyzstan, and five from the Agency on Plant Protection and Quarantine, Ministry of Agriculture, Uzbekistan. In Kyrgyzstan, a few groups of Moroccan locust adults were observed in Aravan district, Osh, where 300 ha had already been treated and where additional treatments was being conducted to prevent migration to Uzbekistan. In Batken, no Moroccan locust was found in Markaz village of Kadamjay district while DMA hoppers in their 2nd and 3rd instar were observed in Tamasha village of Kadamjay, 50 km away of the border, with an average density of 50-70 individuals/m2. No locusts were observed in the border areas in Jalal-Abad. In Uzbekistan, in the border areas of Andijan (five districts), Ferghana (three districts) and Namangan (five districts), only a few small hopper bands of Moroccan and Italian locusts were found with densities not exceeding the economic threshold. In these three regions, by the time of survey, the chemical treatments had already covered 7594 ha. The experts noted that, due to a changing climate and rising temperature, Moroccan locust outbreaks are occurring in mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan at elevations of up to 2100 meters above sea level, over wider areas, including close to borders. Thanks to the close cooperation and timely measures taken on both sides of the border, no locust transboundary movements have been observed over the past few years. The cross-border survey was organized by FAO within its “Programme to improve national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA)”, thanks to the financiale support of the regional project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On 20 to 23 May 2025, two representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and one from FAO accompanied the Tajik Human Health and Environmental Monitoring (HH&Env) Team of the State Entity “Locust Control Expedition” (SE-LCE), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Tajikistan, during one of its monitoring missions in Sughd. The HH&Env Team, consisting of three locust experts from the Central office of SE-LCE and an engineer from the regional branch, demonstrated its work in five pilot districts: Istaravshan, Zafarobod, Devashtich, Mastchoh and B. Ghafurov. Key activities included:  measuring cholinesterase level in the operators’ blood and completion of pesticide use passports for each of them; monitoring of equipment use where treatments were underway; monitoring of recently treated areas against Moroccan locust (Dociostaurus maroccanus, DMA) and Italian locust (Calliptamus italicus, CIT) as well as grasshopper populations; and assessment of any potential impact on human health, the environment, i.e non-target organisms. In addition, during a field visit in Zafarobod on 21 May, the Team evaluated the effectiveness of treatments with biopesticide Metarhizium acridum, which had been carried out on 10-11 May over 60 hectares against CIT early instar hoppers (with densities reaching up to 480 individuals/m² in a band). During the visit, the results showed 100% mortality in cages 10 days after the treatment and over 90% in the field. This is the second year of successful biopesticide testing in Tajikistan. JICA and FAO were thanked by SE-LCE staff for the invaluable support provided, especially in providing vehicles and sprayers as well as capacity-building trainings. JICA representatives interviewed SE-LCE staff on several aspects, including the impact of the project on the improvement of locust management. The Team’s activities, which are spanned before, during and after the campaign to monitor the impact of locust control operations and adopt any required mitigating measures, are supported by the regional project “Improvement of Locust Management in Central Asia – Phase 2” funded by JICA and implemented by FAO in the framework of its “Programme to improve national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA)”. 

From 12 to 16 May 2025, experts from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan conducted a locust cross-border survey over 16 000 hectares (ha) to monitor potential threats to agriculture in border areas. This collaborative effort brought together nine experts from both countries, i.e. four from the Republican Methodological Centre on Phytosanitary Diagnosis and Forecasts, Ministry of Agriculture, Kazakhstan, and five from the Agency for Plant Protection and Quarantine, Ministry of Agriculture, Uzbekistan. The first part of the survey held in Kazakhstan was also attended by the FAO Senior Locust Management Expert. The team jointly surveyed both sides of the border, including 7500 ha in Kazakhstan, i.e. in Kazygurt, Saryagash, and Keles districts of Turkestan region, and 8500 ha in Uzbekistan, in Tashkent, Kibray, Bostanlik, Chinaz, Yangiyul, and Zangiata districts of Tashkent region. Based on the survey, no Moroccan locust was observed, but grasshoppers of various instar ages were recorded with average densities of 0.05-01 individuals/m2. Experts from both countries stressed the importance of cross-border cooperation in managing locust threats that can severely impact crops and rural livelihoods. They reaffirmed their commitment to information sharing and continued joint action. The cross-border survey was supported by the project funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and implemented by FAO as part of its Locust Programme in the Caucasus and Central Asia.