Runyararo Muzavazi Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe faces a new threat from an invasion of red locusts that attack maize and wheat amid fears the insects could greatly reduce this year’s yields.

The country is expecting a bumper harvest following heavy rains after an El-Niño induced drought last season.

Red locusts are aggressive, large and destructive pests that multiply rapidly and form swarms which invade farmlands feeding on vegetation especially leaves.

Presenting a paper at a Southern and Eastern African Regional Technical Conference on emerging high impact trans-boundary crop pests and animal diseases, International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa director Mr Moses Okhoba said due to favourable ecological conditions red locusts multiply rapidly to form huge swarms which devour crops.