Malawi seeks Brazil’s intervention on armyworms

May 11, 2017 Politics 31
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Armyworms

Malawi will send experts to Brazil to learn how to control armyworms, government has said.

This comes after maize fields across the country were attacked by armyworms.

Although many farmers got bumper yields in Malawi in the past farming season, to some, the attack of armyworms on their gardens is to make them food insecure.

The worms that were resistant to pesticides that farmers have been using for the past years, destroyed crops on over 2000 hectares of maize fields in Malawi.

Armyworms
Armyworms: Destroying crops. (Google image).

The situation forced farmers to physically kill the worms using hands.

Reacting on the matter, government through the ministry of foreign affairs has disclosed that it is to send agriculture experts to Brazil to learn on how to control the pest.

Disclosing during a meeting on Wednesday that saw Malawi signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on trade and investment with Brazil, foreign affairs minister Francis Kasaira said Malawi needs to have new methods of controlling the pest.

“This is something we really need to deal with now, it has affected many parts of this country,” said Kasaira.

Brazil foreign affairs minister Aloysio Nunes said the development will strengthen the bilateral relationship that the two countries have.

Apart from having advanced research facilities, Brazil also has experts on pest management.

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31 Comments

  2. i have learnt that the species of army worm Malawi is dancing its tune orignated from Brazil,acertain fool brought it for future use and to day people will have to travel to Brazil the home of this worm to strengthen the relationship of the two countries! ayiayiayiyayaaah

  3. Very interesting to hear the development! I think it is imperative that our authorities should start to appreciating the value of indeginous knowledge and skills! Army worms have been with us for sometime and our parents have managed to survive. We need to remind our authorities that our neighbouring countries have tried to use neem and has been successful and are even buying neem from Malawi. Therefore, our permaculture experiences on Integrated Pest Management have given us confidence in using the locally available resources for treating such as arm worms! Share with us those monies to invest in sharing the knowledge and skills with farmers.

  5. Armyworms are not new in Malawi & if we really had Experts as they claim, they would have known how to control them by now & not travel all the way to Brazil. We have Research Stations which have been here for a long time & that’s where those socalled Experts would have been workingout ways.

  8. Cash gate on its best mpaka Ku Brazil,, oooo aiyo,,

    chilandilireni ufulu ,,mma college azaulimu sanadziwebe how to jeopardise an armyworm?

    OK,,send ,,mwina mkuonako kusintha

  12. All courses at the university plus ptofessors there are failing to find means. Kkkkkkk pa Malawi. In standard 6 the past 16 yrs amatiphunzitsa zimenezo. Kkkkkkk armyworms ku Brazil nanga kukazabwera IGworms?

    2. Kkkkkkk anthuwa akunama akufuna ndalama. Last year other people went out kukachita kafukufuku mene angawatezere ma albino. Today army worms. In 2012 tinalephera kupulumusa anthu at kipd restaurant in BT. Sizikuyenda.

  13. This is not a matter of learning.just carry out experiments to find out which pestcides are effective.collect different types of pesticides hired within or outside malawi,and use them to carry out the experiments.
    These armyworms are strange.they resist pesticides that farmers have been using for years.

  14. #malawi24, maize fields were devastated by stalk borers not army worms. Army worms are easy to control/eradicate. As some have said, this is a waste of money. Why do we have BUNDA, MUST? If problem persists, don’t hesitate to contact me. By the way, did govt brain storm farmers? allowances, allowances, allowances, allowances.

  15. Sending the experts to Brazil to learn how to control army worms, one it’s worst of money,secondly it’s worst of time! Permaculture has all the solutions for controlling army worms please!! So how can you send the experts to another country like Brazil,yet they are experts? In other words we were expecting them to deals with these army worms.Such thatOk Ukhala Mtundu Wanji? Ayitatsa Msonkhano?Nanga Adzapite Ndani?Poti Madala Adwala? chemicals are hazzadours to human beings! Yes we have abilities but the different is how we use them, Government of Malawi please send the experts to Kusamala institute of agriculture and Ecology,and that is in Area 44 Lilongwe!or Never ending food in Lilongwe too.lets be export our skills of deffiting the arm worms to other countries,not imported one!!

    1. You sound so funny. I mean with all the troubles around us about army worms where have you been? You were waiting for government to show panic and send our experts to Brazil for you to come out of your cocoon? You should have come to our rescue long time back. If you are wiser you should shut up your mouth. We have Bvumbwe, Chitedze, LUUNAR etc have failed to deal with army worms for the past years. These experts will go to learn more in Brazil. And you know how but you are doing nothing, what’s that?

  20. Hire them as expatriates to teach our stone aged agricultural extention service workers, how to control it, banana virus as well.

  21. It is just a share waste of moneyWhy not engaging the local agriculture colleges, so you mean part of the 15 million Malawian people brain is in Brazil

    1. But mr mpande don’t you think is will be share waste of money, why not investing in research locally with agriculture colleges within the country,

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