Implementing Regulations of The Agriculture Law

1. To control desert locusts, the following procedures shall be carried out: a) The Ministry or its designee shall, when combating desert locusts by spraying pesticides, announce the same at least one week in advance through available means of communication, unlike emergency operations that require urgent control of certain pests, including desert locusts, to ensure that farms and vegetation are not damaged and that pests are not able to multiply. b) Any agency, other than the Ministry and its affiliated centers, executing the spraying shall officially inform the Ministry branch in the region of the spraying dates and locations at least two weeks prior to the first operation. Should spraying continue at the same location, a schedule shall be set, so that beekeepers can avoid poisoning their bees during such period. c) Beekeepers shall contact the Ministry branches in regions, offices in governorates, or units in districts to learn about the expected annual pesticide 38| Implementing Regulations of the Agriculture Law spraying periods, obtain the relevant schedules and times, and take the necessary precautions to protect their apiaries. These precautions shall comprise placing distinctive signs (colored flags) closely around apiaries to avoid direct spraying on bees, and coordinating and communicating with the owners of adjacent farms to be informed about any expected spraying operation. d) The Ministry and the spraying bodies shall take all necessary precautions to minimize poisoning of bee colonies and shall obligate the spraying teams to follow these precautions. These shall include using less toxic pesticides, spraying at times when bee foraging is limited as much as possible, and placing warning signs, such as written boards or signs of a specific color at the areas and places expected to be sprayed. 2. As far as control of red palm weevil is concerned, the conditions, controls, instructions, procedures, measures and precautions set out in the Procedural Guide to Combating Red Palm Weevil issued by the Ministry shall be implemented. Chapter 4: Agricultural Machinery and Equipment