Army Worms Destroy 3,000 Hectares Of Maize In Lufwanyama

 By Paul Shalala in Lufwanyama

Lufwanyama District Commissioner Miniver Mtesa spraying

Over 3,000 hectares of maize have been destroyed by army worms in Lufwanyama District on the Copperbelt.

This has made Lufwanyama the worst hit district in the province so far.

A check by this blogger in Kakonge area this morning found farmers surveying the damage.

And Lufwanyama District Agricultural Coordinator Aswell Lubungo says the 3,000 hectares affected by army worms are just from the farms surveyed so far.


Mr Lubungo says due to the vastness of the district, not all farmers can be reached to asses the extent of the damage.

Lufwanyama is a mostly rural district and its believed to be the second largest in the country after Mpika.

"Lufwanyama is the most affected district on the Copperbelt. 3,000 hectares have been invaded by army worms, affecting 600 households," said Mr Lubungo.

John Bwalya explaining to farmers how to use the chemicals

He disclosed that farmers were worried with the outbreak.

Meanwhile, Lufwanyama District Commissioner Miniver Mtesa has started distributing chemicals to farmers as the fight against the pests intensifies.

This morning, she gave away chemicals to farmers in Mikuta area.

"We have received over 400 liters of pesticides which we are distributing to farmers. Government wants to ensure that we fight the army worms and reduce chances of a bad harvest," said Ms Mtesa in an interview.

Meanwhile, agricultural experts have embarked on a district-wide sensitization campaign.

Aswell Lubungo sensitizing the farmers in Kakonge village

"This chemical is called sword and it has 500 milliliters. When mixing with a 200 liters drum, you only use 400 milliliters because it is highly concentrated," said John Bwalya, an agricultural assistant who was found in the middle of a sensitization meeting in Kakonge village.

And some farmers spoken to expressed fear that the army worms will affect this year's yield.

"Farmers like me who are not married depend on farming for our livelihood. We send our children to school and feed dependents from money we raise in the fields. Now with these army worms, we don't know how we will survive," said Sharon Mubambe, a 24 year old farmer of Kakonge village.

Zambia Air Force Joins In Fight Against Army Worms

Army Worms eating grass

By Paul Shalala

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu has deployed the Airforce to join in the fight against army worms which have so far attacked maize fields in six of country’s 10 provinces.

Army Worms attack in their thousands and they eat and destroy any vegetation on their way.

The creatures have wrecked havoc in maize fields.

Maize is Zambia’s staple crop which millions of citizens eat on a daily basis.  

According to a statement by President Lungu’s press aide Amos Chanda, the head of state has directed the Zambia Air force, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit and the Ministry of Agriculture to curb the spread of army worms.

“The Zambia Air Force has since began to airlift chemicals to Ndola on the Copperbelt, Chinsali in Muchinga Province, Kasama in Northern Province and Chipata in Eastern Province. The District Agriculture Coordinators for Lusaka, Luapula and North Western Provinces have already collected the chemicals,” stated Mr Chanda.

He revealed that the President had directed that the chemicals that were purchased under emergency operations should be distributed to all parts of the country.

“The President is concerned that if the outbreak of the worms is not controlled speedily, the crop yield for 2016/2017 may negatively be affected. He has assured farmers that all provinces will receive the chemicals,” he stated.

The army worms were first spotted in Kitwe District on the Copperbelt last month.

Within two weeks, the worms spread to the whole district and by last week they had destroyed over 300,000 hectares of maize.

This forced the district administration in the area to buy and distribute cyclone and nimbecidine to farmers to help them halt the spread of the army worms by spraying it in the fields.

Last week, Agriculture permanent Secretary Julius Shawa confirmed that nine of the 10 districts on the Copperbelt had already been invaded by the army worms.

“Farmers who are suspicious of any creatures in their maize fields must report to the nearest agricultural office. Those who are sure its army worms, please buy cypermethrin at any nearest agro shop and spray,” said Mr Shawa.

Army worms were first reported in several parts of Zambia in 2013.

That time, they destroyed maize fields and left farmers with losses.

Since the directive was made yesterday, the Zambia Air Force has continued flying the chemicals to various provinces.

The allocation for the Copperbelt landed in Ndola yesterday and today, Provincial Minister Bowman Lusambo is physically distributing the chemicals to Lufwanyama, Mpongwe and Kalulushi Districts.

300 Hectares Of Maize Destroyed By Army Worms In Kitwe

Army Worms on a maize stock

By Paul Shalala

Over 300 hectares of maize have so far been destroyed by the infamous army worms which have invaded Kitwe in the past three weeks.

Kitwe District Agricultural Coordinator Dr. Raphael Muyaule says the outbreak has left over 150 farmers affected, threatening this year’s harvest.

Dr. Muyaule says the damage caused by the army worms is worrying.

“We are very worried by the damage these army worms are causing. All parts of Kitwe are now affected and from our assessment, most maize fields have suffered more than 40 percent damage,” said Dr. Muyaule.

He said this in an interview today in Minsaka area where he accompanied Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe who donated chemicals to farmers affected by the army worms.

And Mr Chanda urged the farmers to ensure they utilise the chemicals well and reduce the impact of the invasion.

“Spray the chemicals when you are sure it will not rain that day because once it rains, the chemicals will be washed away,” said Mr Chanda.

In Minsaka area, several farmers have lost their maize to the army worms.

Some of the affected farmers are worried that the creatures will reduce their harvest next year.

Alick Nguni who has lost his five hectare field of maize to the army worms says he hopes government can help him survive next year.

Other farmers are also crying foul.

Agriculture officers preparing chemicals

“I had a good harvest last year and bought a canter for myself. But now am worried because these army worms have destroyed my crop,” said Namakando Liwanga.

Government has bought cyclone and nimbecidine chemicals which it is distributing to the affected farmers.

So far, farmers in Minsaka and Luongo areas of Kitwe have received their chemicals today.

Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture have since been dispatched to various parts of the city to sensitise farmers on how to mix the chemicals and spray it on the affected maize.

Army worms, whose scientific names are spodoptera exempta, are making their second appearance in Zambia in three years.

During their first invasion in 2013, the creatures destroyed crops countrywide.

Army Worms Invade Kitwe, Destroy Maize Fields In Kamfinsa

Agricultural officers checking the worms

By Paul Shalala

Army Worms have resurfaced in Kitwe and destroyed maize in much of Kamfinsa area.

The worms have so far attacked and eaten maize in five farms.

These little creatures have wrecked havoc in the area and farmers are crying.

Moving from one field to the other in their thousands, these creatures are leaving a trail of destruction.

Kitwe District Agriculture Coordinator Dr. Raphael Muyaule says the outbreak is not very widespread and should not alarm the farmers.

                          

"We have sent officers on the ground and i can tell you that the army worms have not invaded the whole of Kitwe but a few areas. They are actually in the early stages of their invasion," said Dr. Muyaule.

He says the worms are hatched from eggs laid by moths and the larvae grows into the destructive army worms.

"Because of the short dry spell we had, the eggs have hatched and the army worms have been born. But we are lucky because the rains are falling and this reduces the spread of these creatures."

Dr. Muyaule has further advised farmers across Kitwe to report any suspicious looking creatures in their fields to the nearest agriculture office.

And the farmers who have been hit hard by the army worms are crying.

"I live in the Police camp and i have a farm in this area. For the past one week, these army worms have destroyed our crops. Am appealing to government to help us with chemicals to kill them," said Aliness Mwanza.

Other farmers are already predicting a poor harvest due to the army worms.

Last year we had bad rains and we did not harvest well. This year we thought we were free but these creatures may just wipe out our crop and leave us in poverty," said John Ngambi, another farmer who has lost his crop to the army worms.

The army worms have also been spotted in the neighbouring districts of Luanshya and Ndola. 

Zambia first experienced the destrution caused by army worms in 2013.

In that year, the army worms destroyed maize fields in various parts of the country.

The creatures were spotted in all the 10 provinces and caused irreparable damage to the country's staple food.

According to Wikipedia, the African Army Worm, whose scientific name is Spodoptera Exempta, is capable of wiping out grasslands and fields in a matter of weeks.

It adds that the army worm is a moth which increase in numbers during a dry spell.