KABUL -- Iran's Ministry of Agricultural Jihad launched the first phase of a project aimed at warding off plant pests on 500,000 hectares of farmlands and orchards in Afghanistan.

Head of Anti-Pest Department of the Agricultural Jihad Ministry, Abbas-Ali Hirbod, told IRNA here that the project dubbed "sustainable recovery of agriculture" is commissioned within the framework of Iran's commitments to participate in the Afghan reconstruction process.

"Around one million hectares of farmlands and orchards in the country are plagued with a pest known as "Moroccan locust" and other varieties of plant pests," he added.

He noted that in the first phase of the project, which has been underway for a month, between 400,000-500,000 hectares of farmlands are to be cleansed from pests. He added that this phase is due to get through latest in 20 days.

"According to the surveys and examinations aimed at controlling the Moroccan locust and other plant pests in Afghanistan, the project is predicted to get completed within two or three years," he said.

Hirbod said that the pest has been evidenced mostly in the Afghan provinces of Balkh, Samangan, Fariab, Baghlan, Kunduz, Badghis, Jawzjan and Parwan, Kabul, and Herat.

The Moroccan locust, which was first identified in Morocco, becomes active throughout the spring and early summer and eats away all agricultural products.

It takes around nine months for the fetus to grow in the egg and start reproduction. Once the process is over, a population of 500 times is reproduced.

"A budget worth $250,000 has been predicted to be availed to the project which is to be granted by Iran," he added.

The official said that the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, which is assessing and supervising the project, has already launched an anti-pest campaign over a great area of farmlands in Afghanistan in joint cooperation with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture and Afghan farmers.