Armyworms destroy 13,000 acres of crops
Mr Aggrey Mirembe, the Busia District senior agricultural officer, examines crops destroyed by the African armyworm in Bulumbi Village, Namungodi Town Council, last week. PHOTO / DAVID AWORI
What you need to know:
- Government has distributed more than 23,000 litres of pesticides, 100 motorised pumps and 200 sets of protective gear to affected districts.
Destructive African armyworms have now affected at least 13,000 acres of crops in 41 districts across the country, the Agriculture ministry revealed yesterday.
This is a drastic increase from the initial 12 districts in which the worms were first reported to have invaded about a week ago.
The African armyworm is a migratory moth with its caterpillar as the most destructive, majorly ravaging important cereals such as maize, millet and sorghum and pastures that support animals. Up to 70 percent of the working population of the country is engaged in agriculture, a sector that is central to food security and economic growth.
Speaking to Monitor yesterday, Maj Gen David Kasura Kyomukama, the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Agriculture, said the threat from the armyworms has increased.
“This pest has so far been reported in 41 districts, but is confined to 13,000 acres of crops and rangeland. The arable land of Uganda is several million hectares,” he said.
The PS, however, said the ministry is stepping up efforts to shield the country from the danger of food insecurity, which is already grappling with skyrocketing prices of essential commodities such as soap and cooking oil.
“All the districts that have been affected have been given pesticides. We are giving these pesticides to do two things. Firstly, to show people what to do with them. Secondly, we are complimenting their effort,” he said.
Mr Fred Kyakulaga Bwino, the State minister for Agriculture, two days ago said more than 23,000 litres of pesticides, 100 motorised pumps and 200 sets of protective gear have been procured and distributed to affected districts to demonstrate to communities on effective control of the pest. The ministry spent around Sh600m to combat the pest.
“What we have can only be used for demonstration purposes for farmers to learn and do the same in their gardens,” he said, adding that in maize and other cereals, yield loss as a result of African armyworm feeding goes up to 100 percent.
Government report
The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, on Tuesday directed the government to expedite interventions to ensure the pests are eliminated. The Prime minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, is expected to present a status report today about the invasion and government intervention.
Asked what the ministry will need to eliminate the pests, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the Agriculture minister, said: “I am not aware of the financial requirements eyt, but if the problem continues to escalate, we will need more spraying pumps and many other quantities of Insecticides. Our teams are still assessing the threat magnitude.”
Maj Gen Kasura also said he still doesn’t know the exact amount that is required as their teams are sending in data from the field to inform the next move.
“What I know is that if I was the whole of government, I would have an open-ended cheque because it is really a threat to our food security. It is not just a threat to cereals, it is also a threat to pasture and rangeland,” he said.
“If we don’t solve this issue it will spread to the whole country. Most of our agriculture is smallholder, people have around two acres of land, which is about 70 percent,” he added.
The PS also revealed that they spent Shs14,500 to purchase each litre of the pesticide. He didn’t reveal the company that supplied the chemical. But the price is within the range of wholesale prices as confirmed by local dealers.
“These pests are nocturnal (active at night) and they are moths which are moved by wind. Now we have the problem of the dry weather and wind, so it moves the pests faster,” Maj Gen Kasura said.
On the number of pesticides each district received, he said: “Infestation ranges in size from place to place. We give the pesticide based on the acres affected.”
“We have encouraged farmers to buy their own pesticide -cypermethrin. The pesticide is there at Shs20,000 per litre on retail price. A liter sprays around one acre. We bought in bulk at around Shs14,500,” the PS added.
Why the Cypermethrin
Mr Stephen Byantwale, the commissioner for crop protection at the Agriculture ministry, said they chose cypermethrin because it is relatively safer for the environment.
“Cypermethrin belongs to a class of pesticides called pyrethroids which are bio-degrade. Within seven days, you don’t find residues and this is why we even encourage spraying in grazing land because we know in seven days, it will biodegrade and you will have cattle feeding there,” he said.
Some legislators had on Tuesday warned that the pesticides which the government is planning to use to combat the armyworms are dangerous to human and animal health, but Mr Byantwale said this is the best option.
Dr Herbert Talwana, a crop entomologist at Makerere University College of Agriculture, said such as invasion needs “fast-acting chemical like cypermethrin’’. He asked farmers to follow the safety precautions by wearing gumboots and coveralls while applying.
