.jpg "Locusts on a stick")
High protein - locusts on a stick.
| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa: Subsaharan |
| Niger's Poor Can't Afford Abundant Food |
| 2005-08-03 |
| While mothers continue to bring children weak with hunger to feeding centers, market stalls are filled with food — but at prices well out of the reach of many in this desperately poor nation. "It is the government's job to deal with the hungry, we the traders are here for business," said Ibrahim Baye, who sells millet, a staple in Niger, at a Maradi market. The well-stocked markets are deceptive. The food shortage is real. Last year locusts, in the worst invasion in 15 years, ravaged 7,000 square miles of Niger farmland. That and a subsequent drought cut cereal production by 15 percent last year, according to the United Nations. Hunger was a problem in Niger even before the locusts and drought. Today, more than a third of the nearly 12 million people in Niger face severe food shortages. Children are most at risk. On Tuesday, Baye shooed away beggars dressed in rags and staring at the heaped food on display. A friend sitting with him who gave only one name, Louali, said the grains on display had been stockpiled "and traders wait until the lean season to sell at double its price." Prices have dramatically increased. A bag of 220 pounds of millet went from $23 to $44. Few can afford that in the second-poorest nation in the world, where 64 percent of the people survive on less than $1 a day. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #8 Tiny litter touring machines working on gawds own prime line. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-08-03 16:49 |
| #7 Our "locusts", at least here in Cincinnati, are actually cicadas. They come out of the ground to breed once every [prime number: 5, 7, 13, 17] years to breed. Exact timing is dependent upon which species of cicada it is. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-08-03 15:52 |
| #6 There was an article last year about the American locust bloom in the east. Turns out some folks are SERIOUSLY allergic to locusts and eating can have major adverse impact |
| Posted by: Glese Phunter1777 2005-08-03 14:37 |
| #5 "the grains on display had been stockpiled "and traders wait until the lean season to sell at double its price." Paging Dr. Kofi..Paging Dr. Kofi.... Do your job and triage/disseminate the grain stockpiles NOW!!! Oh I forgot, "every socialist needs a slave class" |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2005-08-03 13:28 |
| #4 #3 Over the years locust-prone communities have developed recipes to turn the tables on their voracious invaders. Kill them and eat them, eh? Hey, I wonder if that would work with jihadis? Oh that is rich. Turning them into "long pig" |
| Posted by: Cheaderhead 2005-08-03 12:33 |
| #3 Over the years locust-prone communities have developed recipes to turn the tables on their voracious invaders. Kill them and eat them, eh? Hey, I wonder if that would work with jihadis? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2005-08-03 03:29 |
| #2 High protein - locusts on a stick. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-08-03 02:12 |
| #1 Locusts are high protein and fried taste like peanuts. Why hasn't anybody inform the starving people of that? Locusts make a very healthy dietary supplement Recipes for Locust from 1687 and American pioneers National Geographic Locust Recipes Over the years locust-prone communities have developed recipes to turn the tables on their voracious invaders. "You find large quantities of them for sale in local markets," said Keith Cressman, FAO's locust information officer. "They are very nutritious, because they are high in protein." Tinjiya (Tswana recipe): Remove the wings and hind legs of the locusts and boil in a little water until soft. Add salt, if desired, and a little fat and fry until brown. Serve with cooked, dried mealies (corn). Sikonyane (Swazi recipe): Prepare embers and roast the whole locust on the embers. Remove head, wings, and legs. Only the breast part is eaten. The South Sotho people use locusts especially as food for travelers. The heads and last joint of the hind legs are broken off and the rest of the locusts are laid on the coals to roast. The roasted locusts are ground on a grinding stone to a fine powder. This powder can be kept for long periods of time and is taken along on a journey. Dried locusts are also prepared for the winter months. The legs, when dried, are especially relished for their pleasant taste. Cambodian locusts: Take several dozen locust adults, preferably females, slit the abdomen lengthwise, and stuff a peanut inside. Then lightly grill the locusts in a wok or hot frying pan, adding a little oil and salt to taste. Be careful not to overcook or burn them. Barbecued (grilled): Prepare embers or charcoal. Place about one dozen locusts on a skewer, stabbing each through the center of the abdomen. If you only want to eat the abdomen, then you may want to take off the legs or wings either before or after cooking. Several skewers of locusts may be required for each person. Place the skewers above the hot embers and grill. Turn the locusts continually, to avoid burning them, until they become golden brown. Source: FAO's Desert Locust Information Service |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-08-03 01:07 |