The government has allocated 650 billion rials ($4 million) to the battle against desert locusts that have invaded southern parts of Iran since mid-February, according to the spokesman of the Plant Protection Organization affiliated to the Agriculture Ministry.
“The total amount needed by PPO to effectively control the pest is estimated to be around 850 million rials [$5 million],” Mohammad Reza Mir was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official added that so far the pest has been fought on over 170,568 hectares of land in seven infected provinces, namely Sistan-Baluchestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, Fars, Kerman, Khuzestan and South Khorasan.
Sistan-Baluchestan where the locust has been fought on a total of 66,043 hectares is the worst-hit province, according to the official.
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