Colombo (News 1st); Hundreds of thousands of locusts have attacked multiple farmlands in Mawathagama, Kurunegala in the North West of Sri Lanka.

The worst affected is the Francisco Estate, where hundreds if maize, plantain, guava, and mango cultivations fell victims to swarms of locusts.

Director-General of the Department of Agriculture M. W. Weerakoon speaking to News 1st confirmed the locusts are endemic and not the Desert locust which is already destroying cultivations across India and Pakistan.

He said measures are in place to contain the spread of locusts.

Several months ago, Sri Lanka’s Department of Agriculture, said if the overseas desert locust plague persists, the probability of locusts entering the island country would increase, causing devastation to crops.

The Department of Agriculture was quoted earlier as saying, local agrarian communities were however being made aware of the threat.

The desert locusts outbreak is the largest in decades and has already devastated crops in countries with fragile food security, such as Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya.

Desert locusts are considered as one of the most destructive migratory pests.

They can fly 150 km with the wind every day and survive for about three months.

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