Malawian farmers urged to plant early to deal with armyworms

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Armyworms

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has asked farmers in the country to plant early to minimise the risk of having their farms getting affected by armyworms.

This was said at a regional sensitisation campaign meeting against armyworms which was attended by various people including traditional leaders and district commissioners from the centre.

Armyworms
Armyworms: Destroying crops. (Google image).

Speaking at the event, deputy minister of agriculture Aggrey Masi said a lot of measures have been put in place to eradicate the damaging pests and they are making sure that the message is being spread.

“The issue that we need is to take the message to the farmers, we are trying and we are doing it, we want to make sure that we involve traditional leaders so that they should take the message to the farmers,” he said.

According to Masi, the ministry also wishes that the farmers use the message with effectiveness considering the danger the pest poses.

He however urged farmers to plant early in order to prevent the pest from feasting on their crops.

He said the ministry will not rest until crops are protected from the pest.

The problem of armyworms was first registered in Malawi in December, 2016 and was confirmed in January, 2016 this year. During the last growing season the pest affected 138 hectares representing 600 households in the country.

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