VIENTIANE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Local villagers can help solve the ongoing locust outbreak in three northern provinces because these types of grasshoppers can be fried in oil and eaten as a calorie packed snack.
An official from Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, who asked not to be named, has advised villagers to catch these locusts to sell at the local markets to reduce their numbers in outbreak areas, Lao state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday.
"I have already eaten them, the young ones have a good taste but the old ones are not quite delicious because they are not soft to chew," he said.
Insect experts from China and Thailand are helping Lao authorities to wipe out the plague of locusts that is afflicting crops in northern Laos.
The locust outbreak is expected to continue to spread and is likely to affect seven provinces out of Laos' 18 provinces. So far about 3,710 hectares of crops have been ravaged in Luang Prabang, Huaphan and Phongsaly province in the north.
Lao authorities are using four-wheel drive vehicles and travelling on foot to spray pesticides to kill locusts in outbreak zones. Villagers are using nets to catch the insects in hopes of reducing the damage to upland rice, sweetcorn and other crops.
In May, 2016, millions of the pests spread into 14 districts in the three northern provinces. Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said that locusts have recently been found in one more district.
