Almaty, Kazakhstan, 18 September 2026 — The Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), conducted a national training on the identification of locusts and grasshoppers and methods of specimen collection and preservation in Almaty from 15 to 18 September 2026. The Kazakh Research Institute for Plant Protection and Quarantine hosted the training.
The four-day programme brought together specialists from Kazakhstan’s Republican Methodological Centre for Phytosanitary Diagnostics and Forecasts, the State Inspection Committee in the Agro-industrial Complex, and the Kazakh Research Institute for Plant Protection and Quarantine. Professor Alexandre Latchininsky, FAO Senior Locust Management Expert, led the technical sessions.
Participants studied the morphology, taxonomy and biology of economically important locust and grasshopper species in Kazakhstan. Practical sessions used insect collections to develop skills in identifying adult species and nymphal stages. The programme also covered the preservation, pinning and preparation of specimens for reference collections.
The activity forms part of the FAO Programme to Improve Regional and National Locust Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia and IOFS efforts to strengthen the management of transboundary pests. It follows the regional training jointly organized by the IOFS and FAO in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, from 29 June to 4 July 2026.
The IOFS expresses its sincere appreciation to the FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the host institution, Professor Latchininsky, and all participating specialists for their valuable contributions. The Organisation will continue working with its partners to strengthen technical capacity and regional cooperation on locust monitoring and management in Central Asia.
