The International Red Locust (Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa) (IRLCO-CSA) was founded in 1970 as a successor to the International Red Locust Control Service (IRLCS).

The IRLCS had been formed following a series of locust plagues, the most serious of which was the one that lasted from 1930 to 1944. This plague, the best documented, brought about famine as crops and other vegetation were devastated by locusts. The primary objective for the establishsment of the IRLCS was, therefore, to prevent such plagues in future. The IRLCO-CSA has also maintained the goal by locust plague prevention.

Since inception, IRLCO-CSA has fulfilled the goals as no other plague has occurred. This has largely been made possible by the systematic monitoring of outbreak area and suppressing locust swarm formation. This strategy, developed during the IRLCS years, has been consolidated by IRLCO-CSA. The main element for implementing this strategy is aircraft which are deployed for locust surveys in the extensive outbreak areas that are largely inaccessible to any other means of transport for monitoring and chemical pesticide spraying.

In 1983, because of the successes of IRLCO-CSA in its objectives, more responsibilities were added to its mandate. The Organization was thus required to assist its member countries with the control of other migratory pests, such as the Armyworm and Quelea Birds. It was expected that similar strategies employed for locusts would apply for these other pests. Thus, monitoring and forecasting systems for the Armyworm and Quelea are under development.

One of the most important resources for the control of locusts and other migratory pests is trained manpower. The Organization, therefore, conducts training courses which are aimed at providing knowledge base necessary for the control of the pests and to strengthen the capacity of national Plant Protection Units.

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We provide the following Hire Services at attractive rates to non-member countries, companies & individuals:

• Helicopters for Surveys

• Fixed Wing Aircraft for control of locusts and Quelea

In addition we also provide short courses in the following:

• Migratory Pest Management Technologies

• Agricultural Spraying Techniques

• General Pest Management

NOTE: We offer our services as consultants in the above

We also supply a range of lures for use of, amongst other, the Armyworm Population monitoring.

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Member countries of the IRLCO-CSA:

Membership of the IRLCO-CSA is open to all countries which were affected by the 1930 to 1944 red locust plagues. The following countries are currently members:

Outbreak areas of Red Locust (Refer Map)

1. Malagarasi Basin (Tanzania)
2. Wembere Steppe (Tanzania)
3. Iku and Katavi Plains (Tanzania)
4. Rukwa Valley (Tanzania)
5. Mweru-wa-Ntipa (Zambia)
6. Kafue Flats (Zambia)
7. Lake Chilwa Plains (Malawi)
8. Buzi-Gorongosa Plains (Mazambique)

The recognized outbreak areas of the Red Locust are typically of poor drainage, treeless and are extensive grasslands. They are prone to periodic flooding during the rainy season and tend to dry out during the dry season. These outbreak areas permanently harbour Red Locusts which, when ecological conditions are favourable, are known to have been sources for swarms. Such swarms escaped, or could have emigrated had they not been controlled, thus initiating. plagues.

The areas listed above are known to have produced a number of Red Locust swarms since the past plague. In addition to these recognized outbreak areas, there exist other locations in the region in which there have been upsurges of Red Locust populations from time to time. Such other locations include Chobe Plains in Botswana, Buhuru-Usango Flats in Tanzania, Mchinji in Malawi, Lukanga Swamps in Zambia and Simunye in Swaziland.

The Organization is also responsible for the surveillance and control of the African Migratory Locust. Although this locust has no recognized outbreak areas in the region, there have been records of widespread outbreaks in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

There is no known outbreak areas for the Brown Locust in the IRLCO-CSA region. Some member countries are, however, liable to invasion by this locust originating from the Karoo region in South Africa.

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The principle concern of IRLCO-CSA is the sustainability of food security in countries of the region. For the Organization to realize this goal, its mandate is as follows:

1. First and foremost to promote and undertake the most elective control of significant populations and swarms of locusts in the recognized outbreak areas in the region.

2. To consolidate and reinforce Member States' action in controlling locusts if there is an escape from any outbreak area or invasion.

3. To co-ordinate monitoring, surveillance and forecasting of African Armyworm and grain eating birds and if requested by a member state to co-operate in the co-ordination of control operation of these pests.

4. To undertake, when requested by a member state, and if the Organization has spare capacity, the control of grain eating birds, the African Armyworm, Tsetse Flies and any other agricultural pest, provided that the member state making the request shall reimburse the Organization the costs involved for undertaking such control and also provide ground transport and labour.

5. To initiate and conduct necessary research relating to the functions of the Organization as specified in this Article in order to accumulate information for efficient pest survey and control.

6. To initiate and implement training programmes for personnel of the Organization and subject to availability of resources, train personnel of member states who are involved in the management of locusts and other specified pests.

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For the efficient management of IRLCO-CSA, its convention provides for a number of organs whose functions are set out below:

• The Governing Council:

The highest policy making body of IRLCO-CSA is the Governing  Council of Ministers consisting of one Minister (usually responsible for Agriculture) of each of the member states. Among other responsibilities, the Governing Council approves and Annual Programme of Work and Budget.

• The Executive Committee:

This committee consists of one representative of each of the member states. Its primary function is to advise the Governing Council and to ensure that the Organization's policies are fully implemented. In addition, the Committee is responsible for recruitment and discipline of Regional Staff. The Executive Committee normally meets twice a year.

• The Technical Committee:

The Technical Committee is responsible to the Executive Committee and its main function is to advise on the Organization's Programme of Work. It also assess m\new projects and achievements of the technical programme. Members of the Committee are nominees of members states, and usually experts of plant protection matters within their respective Ministries of Agriculture.

• The Director:

The Director is the principal executive of the Organization appointed by the Governing Council. He initiates policy issues for consideration by the Executive Committee and he is responsible for the implementation of council and committee decisions. He is, therefore, the link between the organs of the Organization and the management.

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Early attempts at locust control were totally inadequate as the methods were inefficient and labour intensive. Following research work by the Anti-Locust Centre of the United Kingdom, the feasibility for the use of aircraft was tested on the Desert Locust. Subsequently, after a proven record of efficiency, not only in spray operations but also in surveys, aircraft use was adopted. The aircraft was found particularly suitable also for the Red Locust because of its peculiar breeding habitats which rendered other means of monitoring and control unsuitable. To date the aircraft remains the key to the operations against the Red Locust, and other locust species in the region.

The timing of surveys for the Red Locust is largely determined by the life cycle of the pest. The Red Locust has one generation in a year. Eggs are laid at the beginning of the rain season and the hoppers hatch within a month. Hatching occurs about March / April. The locusts remain sexually immature until October / November when mating. Surveys are, therefore, timed to coincide  with the hopper season. If significant populations are found, these are sprayed. Further surveys are carried out to assess and control adult populations. Although surveys are predominantly carried out by aircraft, motor vehicles may also be used in accessible areas. All spraying operations by the Organization are by aircraft.

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The activities of the Organization are based on a detailed Programme of Work which is approved by the Governing Council every year. The main focus of the programme is the monitoring of outbreak areas in order to locate and control locust concentrations so as to forestall locust plagues.

The Organization co-ordinates an Armyworm trap network which is operated by member countries. It has the responsibility of processing data from the network and issuing forecast and early warning of Armyworm outbreaks for the benefit of the countries.

Management of Quelea Birds is also an component of the Programme of Work. The Organization is responsible for carrying out studies on the ecology of the grain eating birds, and developing suitable control strategies and a forecasting system. The Organization also assists member countries in controlling the pest by aircraft.

The primary objective of the Forecasting Systems for Armyworm and Quelea is, in the final analysis, to alert farmers in time to organize logistics necessary for management of these pests.

Apart from studies carried out on grain eating birds and the Armyworm, the Organization undertakes pertinent investigations aimed at finding ecologically sound locust control methodologies that are also economically feasible. The search for alternative pesticides for the control of migratory pests is a continuing activity of the Organization.

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The IRLCO-CSA has an annual budget which is financed through contributions by member states in order to execute its Programme of Work. However, external funding through grants has from time to time been received for major capital items such as aircraft, vehicles, buildings and projects.

In addition to member states, donor agencies and governments have over the years contributed financial and material support and continue to assist IRLCO-CSA in meeting its mandated objectives.

Following is a list of Donor Agencies and Governments:

• African Development Bank (ADB)
• Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• United nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Overseas Development Administration (UK)
• German Technical Co-operation Agency (GTZ)
• Japan Government
• Government of Switzerland

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The Headquarters of IRLCO-CSA is situated at Ndola, Zambia, where the Organization has workshops, an aircraft hangar, a laboratory and offices.

The field operation bases are situated as follows:

• Tanzania

  • Tabora
  • Kaliua
  • Masenga
  • Muze

• Mozambique

  • Beira

• Malawi

  • Bvumbwe

These bases which are manned by IRLCO-CSA staff are strategically located close to the recognized Red Locust outbreak areas. Survey and control operations are often launched from these bases. The Organization maintains airstrips at all bases in Tanzania.

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Services in Locust / Quelea Control and Training