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Now Army Worms Spread to Five Provinces Rising Fears of Poor Maize Harvest
Army worms which are wrecking havoc on agricultural fields have now affected five of the ten provinces in the country, Zambian Vice President Guy Scott told parliament on Wednesday.
The army worms attack are feared to cause havoc in the maize harvest which will further deepen the mealie meal crisis for the 2013 season. The prize of the commodity has already gone up to levels never experienced before.
The worms travel in small insect armies and consume everything in their path. They are most active at night and hide under garden debris during the day and consume plants rapidly.
Moving a motion for the house to adjourn sine-die upon completion of business on the order paper, Dr Scott told the house that the situation of army worms is worse than he has ever seen it.
He said the army worm situation is extremely widespread and advanced, and may further spread to other provinces not yet affected.
The Vice president who earlier today held a long meeting with the Disaster Mitigation and Management Unit,the Ministry of Agriculture and the United Nations structures including the World Food programme said there is heavy infestation of maize fields in the affected areas.
Dr Scott hopes that the country will get heavy rains under which conditions the army worms do not survive.
He also advised farmers to consider planting early maturing maize varieties whose fields have been cleared by the army worms in order to catch up with the lost planting time.
Posted by
Democrat
December 13, 2012 at 6:45 am
Name the provinces ba tumfweko. The govt must take action otherwise this is the beginning of icipowe mucalo.
Ba medza
December 13, 2012 at 7:57 am
The latest districts affected are muchinga & southern. Spraying has started although its slow coz they can’t use earial sprayig for fear of poisonig livestock through pasture & scientists have said these worms will turn into moths in the next two weeks & will fly away. We just hope govt will safeguard enough stock of maize to see us through next year in case of poor harvest.
Situational Analyst
December 13, 2012 at 9:11 am
I would like suggest to Agro-Scientists to do a quick research if TOBACCO can be used as biochemical pesticides in the fight to eradicate army worm. It is cheap and affordable. Just boil dry tobacco leaves ,drain the water then start spraying.True armyworm, Pseudaleta unipuncta (Haworth), is a native species widely distributed throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. It has long been known to be an occasional serious pest of small grains and corn.
{So it means some commercial farmers imported either wheat or corn[maize]or any grain from USA}: Chibombo,Chisamba and Chongwe areas is one the farming arena of high profile commercial farmers
Chibesa
December 13, 2012 at 10:17 am
We have a Pharaoh in state house…
am a serious PF DIE HARD.
December 13, 2012 at 2:59 pm
kekekekekek lol!
umu zedian
December 13, 2012 at 12:53 pm
munani uyu!! nga chalya amataba naiwe kuchilya. This is sad, after amataba yonse mwatwala ku congo.
Zwa Zwele
December 13, 2012 at 2:07 pm
These things must be harvested and eaten as ifishimu, tulechula nensala when food has manifested
Atas
December 14, 2012 at 12:08 am
“Pharaoh, let my people go!!!” kekekekekeke