African armyworms have destroyed irrigated maize at Choma and Ching’ambo in Mzuzu.
One of the famers cultivating along Ching’ambo River, Joshua Linje, said the armyworms have hit many gardens in the area.
On Tuesday, he reported the matter to Member of Parliament for Mzuzu city Leonard Njikho since he did not know the type of armyworms that hit his crops.
Njikho and the farmer went to Mzuzu ADD offices where the agricultural workers told them that the worms are African armyworms.
“As Member of Parliament yesterday on Monday I received a Linje in my office and after his complaint we went to see ADD officials where we identified the worms as African armyworms, and they promised to send officials to deal with these arms,” said Hon Njikho.
African armyworms which mostly destroy cereals are known to many farmers unlike the fall armyworms which hit many parts of the country in the last growing season.
Meanwhile, Chief Galangombe of Choma in the city has asked Government to help his people fight the armyworms.
“My area is affected by these worms. I am asking Government to help us in time before these worms destroy all our crops otherwise we are going to die of hunger as many families depend on irrigation farming,” he said.
Recently, Minister of Agriculture Honourable Joseph Mwanamvekha promised farmers in Karonga to deal with worms that destroy crops by distributing chemicals that farmers will use to spray in their fields.
