Grasshopper harvesting generates income near Rio São Francisco

In Serra do Ramalho, located in western Bahia, residents are turning seasonal grasshopper outbreaks into a source of income. Following the June rains, populations of pasture green grasshoppers (family Acrididae) increase, prompting locals to collect the insects from tree canopies using long poles and nets.

The live insects are sold for approximately R$ 25 per dozen to recreational fishers from Bahia and Minas Gerais, primarily as bait for catching pacu-caranha. This practice serves a dual purpose: it provides income for collectors and acts as a mechanical control method to reduce agricultural damage caused by insect swarms in local crops and pastures without the use of chemical pesticides.

The surge in grasshopper availability has also boosted fishing tourism along the middle São Francisco River, supporting local ranchos and intermediaries. While the grasshoppers play a vital ecological role in nitrogen enrichment and the food chain, experts note that the use of the bait targets the pacu-caranha, an exotic species introduced to the river in the 1980s, which requires ongoing monitoring to protect native biodiversity.