Armyworms hit Zimbabwe’s maize

Agricultural officials spray maize plants affected by armyworms in Keembe district

Agricultural officials spray maize plants affected by armyworms in Keembe district

Published Jan 11, 2017

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Harare - Farmers

in southern Africa face a growing threat amid an outbreak of armyworms, a

destructive pest that’s spread to Zimbabwe while continuing to decimate fields

in neighbouring Zambia.

The

black-striped caterpillars have infested 124 000 hectares (306 400 acres) of

Zambian fields out of 1.4 million planted hectares, Agriculture Minister Dora

Siliya told reporters on Tuesday in the capital, Lusaka.

That’s up from

an estimated 90 000 hectares last week. In Zimbabwe, the fall armyworm has been

reported in seven of the eight corn-growing provinces, the government and

farmers’ representatives said.

The fall

armyworm is a “major problem for us,” Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union

President Wonder Chabikwa said by phone on Tuesday from Harare, the capital.

The spread of the caterpillars is linked to a dry spell last year, he

said. Two of the country’s corn-growing provinces have also reported the

presence of African armyworms.

Read also:  Zambia battles armyworms

Corn, which is

commonly referred to as maize, is a staple food in both countries and Zambian

President Edgar Lungu directed the air force in late December to help airlift

pesticides to fight the outbreak.

While Zambia

produced a corn surplus last year, crops elsewhere in the region were hard hit

by drought and Zimbabwe said in July it would roll out a $500 million program

to boost production of the crop and ease food shortages.

Authorities are

confident Zambia’s food security won’t be threatened, Siliya said.

-With assistance from Matthew Hill.

BLOOMBERG

 

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