Farmers in Magwi County resorted to setting fires and making noise in attempts to ward off the locusts, February 29, 2020 | Credit | Okot Emmanuel/Eye Radio

Another swarm of the desert locusts has invaded Magwi County in Eastern Equatoria State, residents of the area have reported.

In February, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security reported the arrival of the first pest in Magwi and Lobone areas, but they reportedly left after destroying crops and vegetation.

The UN Food and Agriculture Oganization(FAO) says on Thursday its field monitors in Lobone, Palwar, Obbo, and Pajok informed them of the new swarm that arrived at around 5 pm on Wednesday.

Local community members have reported that the destructive insects have started eating their crops.

“We received a phone call from our monitors in Lobone, Obbo, Pajok, and Palwar, they have reported the invasion of the locust that crossed from Kenya through northern Uganda side to the area,” Morris Felix Juma- FAO’s extension enologist consultant told Eye Radio on Thursday.

“They are a mixture of the mature and immature locust. The mature is the first generation that might be looking for an area to lay their eggs and their feeding habit is very low but the immature ones, we have to take care of them because they have high feeding habits.”

Juma added that the swarm is believed to have crossed from Kenya through the northern parts of Uganda.

He said in collaboration with South Sudan Food Security Taskforce, FAO will provide chemicals for the people in Magwi County to spray the locusts.