The government of Uganda urges farmers to plant despite the risks that locust swarms pose to crops, Bloomberg reports.

For Vincent Ssempijja, the Minister of Agriculture, this is crucial to take advantage of recent rains and avert a possible food crisis. The measure comes at a time when the fight against insect pests is being slowed down due to the spread of the coronavirus. According to the official, the supply of 8,600 liters of pesticides from Japan has been delayed due to flight restrictions imposed to curb the pandemic.

“The nose masks are hard to find as there is stiff competition for them since they are also being used to protect communities from coronavirus,” Vincent Ssempijja said.

Uganda is one of the countries most affected by the locust swarms, along with Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The country is home to about half of the arable lands in East Africa.