Battle Against Locusts in Chambarak

In the Chambarak enlarged community of Gegharkunik Province, a battle has been ongoing against locusts for the past month, as large swarms have been devastating pastures, hayfields, and crop lands.

According to Robert Ohanyan, the deputy head of the Chambarak community, locusts have become unprecedentedly active in the areas of Chambarak city and Vahan village, while they have not yet spread to other localities.

“The large groups of locusts are consuming pastures, hayfields, and crops along their way, posing a serious threat to the agriculture of the community. To fight against them, the Ministry of Economy of Armenia has provided us with 30 kilograms of pesticide, but it was not enough to completely eradicate the locusts. Therefore, the Chambarak municipality has also procured a certain quantity of pesticide through purchases. We are conducting spray operations using tractors. Approximately 1,000 hectares have been treated for these pest insects, but the threat has not disappeared as their groups appear in other clean areas. I believe that to make the fight more effective, we need to involve drones, a capability our community currently lacks. We have also urged community residents to more actively engage in the fight against locusts,” stated Robert Ohanyan.