Addid Ababa, Jun 3 (IANS): More than 51,000 hectares of land in Ethiopia is pest-infested, an official said.

Belayneh Negussie, plant protection Director at the Ministry of Agriculture, said 51,209 hectares of land across Ethiopia has recently been infested with pests, reports Xinhua news agency.

Negussie said parts of Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz and Amhara regions have detected pest infestation in their farmlands,.

"Out of the 51,209 hectares of pest-ridden farmland, 23,219 hectares of farmland has been treated with modern and traditional means of pest control," he added.

He also said Ethiopia is facing the worst pest attack in two years, with efforts being undertaken to ensure there are no substantial crop losses in pest-affected areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture is also conducting preparatory works including chemical spraying in other parts of Ethiopia, which are deemed to be vulnerable to pest infestation.

In addition, it is encouraging local communities to undertake traditional pest control measures to mitigate the impact of the pest invasion on farmlands.