Zambia reports progress in fighting army worms

The Zambian government said on Tuesday that the outbreak of army worms has been contained in some parts of the country following an emergency chemical spraying operation launched last week.

Army worms have broken out in six of Zambia's 10 provinces, affecting large swathes of maize fields, forcing President Edgar Lungu to order an emergency operation against the pests in which the government procured chemicals to spray the fields.

Patrick Kangwa, the coordinator of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), said reports received from affected provinces indicated that the number of affected fields has not increased since the operation started.

He told reporters during a press briefing in Lusaka, the country's capital, that only the eastern part of the country has seen an increase in the number of fields affected by army worms.

The official however noted that there was no need for panic because measures put in place to contain the outbreak have started bearing fruits.

On Monday, Vice-President Inonge Wina described the outbreak of army worms as a crisis which required concerted efforts from stakeholders.

A total of 15,940 liters of five different chemicals to spray the army worms have been distributed to the affected areas, according to the DMMU. Endit