Posted on March, 27, 2017 at 11:09 am
The agriculture Minister has estimated that by the end of the year, the country could have lost450000 tonnes of maize due to the armyworm that has so far spread to 20 districts. The fall armyworm is a moth with a destructive larva (caterpillar) the presence of the fall armyworm (FAW) in Uganda could translate to an annual loss of at least 450000 metric tones of maize, which is equivalent of $192m (692b), the agriculture minister, Vincent Ssempijja said in a statement he issued to explain government interventions to avert the pest.
Ssempijja said Sh1b had been secured to control the pest. A task force composed of Agriculture ministry officials, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda Naional Farmers Federation and Office of the Prime Minister has been constituted to draft action plans for effective management of the armyworm.
The ministry is to procure emergency pesticides (lambdacyhalothrin (106g/l)+ thiamethoxam (141g/l) and profenofos 40% + Cypermethrin4% known to have worked successfully elsewhere in the control of FAW, he said.
Ssempijja said the pest, which was first detected in the three districts of Kayunga, Kasese and Bukedea in July last year, has now spread to 20 other districts of Kibaale, kamwenge , Masindi, Nwoya, Muyuge, Kyenjojo, Mukono, Kamuli, Luwero, Rakai, Buliisa, Kabarole, Kumi, Serere,Kiryadongo, Luuka, Bugiri and Iganga. The armyworm continues to spread to other districts at a very high rate,” he said.
80 Plant Species affected
Said to have originated from South America, the pests feeds on more than 80 plant species. Okasai Opoloti the director of crop resources at the agriculture ministry said these include cereals ( Maize, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, rice and wheat) legumes ( cowpea, groundnuts and soyabeans); cotton and many pasture grasses (Rhodes grass, Kikuyu grass, Lucerne and other pasture grasses) that are the source of cattle feed in the country.
The destructive stage of the pest is the caterpillar, Ssempijja said. The armyworm was first reported in AFRICA in January last year in Soa Tome, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Nimibia, Mozambique and the DR Congo.
In Zambia it had by January 3 reportedly destroyed up to 90000 hectares of crops within months of the outbreak, forcing the United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organisation to urge countries to step up surveilleancee and response measures to protect over 70% of the population that depended on agriculture.
Dr Michael Otim the head of cereals research at the National Crop Resources and Research institute recently told New Vision that the characteristics are similar to those of the fall armyworm which is difficult to fight. It has a history of developing resistence to pesticides and can cover a distance of 2000Km per year. The female armyworm reproduces fast and can lay between 1500 and 2000 eggs,” he explained.
The government has requested farmers, extension workers and the public to promptly report any out breaks to the district agricultural officers (DAOs) as interim measures are devised to contain the pest.
Farmers cry out foul
It was lunchtime when we arrived at Lube village in Wakiso district, where an expansive farm of maize is under an attack of armyworm in Kakiri sub- county ended at watoto farm, sitting on about 100acres along Hoima Road.
Sunday Okello, the manager of Watoto sustainability project Lube crops farm, looked upset as caterpillers feasted on the maize that was planted three weeks ago. The caterpillers had punched holes in the leaves and moved the leaves sit on the stem of the maize plant. The maize was blossoming, but now it is in danger unless chemicals kill the pests,” he said, adding that the worm attacks maize plants at all stages.
Edward Rwajokare, a manager at a farm neighbouring Watoto said they had applied a chemical known as rocket bringing the invasion of the caterpillars to an end. We did not have to wait for the Government because we knew the problem and we did not want to lose our crop, he said , adding that caterpillars stopped being a problem at the farm three weeks ago.
The government should be aggressive in creating awareness and supporting poor farmers who cannot afford to buy the chemicals. Mukasa Mayombwe who lives near the two farms, fears that the caterpillars will overrun his garden any time soon.
Source: NewVision | Monday March 27, 2017 | Page 4