Armyworm |
African countries
are facing a maize shortage and losses running into billions of dollars
due to the devastation caused by the fall armyworm.
A new report
released by the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International
(Cabi) shows that improper management of the armyworm could cost 10 of
the continent's major maize producing economies between $2.2 billion and
$5.5 billion per year in lost maize harvests.
According to the
report, the armyworm is now a permanent challenge to the continent that
largely depends on maize, spreading to 28 African countries just a year
after it was first reported.
"Enabling our
agricultural communities with quick and co-ordinated responses is now
essential, to ensure the continent stays ahead of the plague," said
Joseph DeVries, vice-president of programme development and innovation
at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra).
Malawi will be the
most affected by the armyworm, with the report forecasting that the
infestation could wipe out between 12.5 per cent and 30 per cent of the
country's agricultural economies.
In East Africa,
Tanzania is expected to be the most affected by the destructive pest,
with estimated yield loss of up to 3,238,980 tonnes, ahead of Uganda and
Ethiopia with estimated yield losses of 1,391,109 tonnes and 3,054,727
tonnes respectively.
According to
Uganda's agriculture ministry, the worm wiped out 450,000 tonnes of
maize worth $192.8 million in the past crop season.
In Kenya, the pest
has attacked more than 250,000 hectares of agricultural land, accounting
for 11 per cent of the country's maize crop, according to the latest
statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The report asked
farmers to monitor susceptible crops to detect egg masses and young
larvae; governments were asked to promote the awareness of the fall
armyworm among farmers and communicate the recommended pesticides.
"Research is
urgently needed, and an awareness and education effort is required so
that farmers can monitor their fields and make decisions," said Roger
Day, Cabi's sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) co-ordinator.
However, experts
have warned farmers about overusing pesticides to combat the pest as it
may cause resistance -- as witnessed in the America's where the pest was
first reported.
Although previous
studies have shown that the worm feeds on more than 80 crops including
millet, sorghum, rice, wheat and legumes, the pest prefers maize. The
report estimates that it could cut yields of maize by up to 60 per cent.
The African Union
said the fall armyworm is now "high" on its agenda. Commissioner Josefa
Sacko said that additional resources have been assigned to address the
menace.
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