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Armyworm invasion threatens crops in S. Africa

Xinhua, February 7, 2017 Adjust font size:

South African farmers in maize growing regions face a big threat from armyworm, a pest that can destroy vast fields of crops if left unchecked, an official said Monday.

Maize is the staple crop in South Africa, where the government has been importing maize this year after a devastating drought in 2016.

"The armyworm is the biggest challenge to farmers at the moment and the government has distributed a contact pesticide to eradicate the worms," said Bomikazi Molapo, the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) spokesperson.

The South African government has started a campaign aimed at stemming the armyworm, but officials say they had to wait until the caterpillars turned into moths before they could positively identify the pests.

The DAFF met with industry players on Monday to come up with an action plan.

"If this is fall armyworm, it is new to our shores, we know very little about it, we are relying on literature," said Dr. Marinda Visser of Grain South Africa.

The fall armyworm is known to affect several crops including maize, sorghum, soybeans, groundnuts and potatoes. The pest, a good flyer, is hard to be contained to a specific area.

According to the DAFF, the South African Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan, which deals with new pest detection in the country, is already in place.

The department said the fall armyworm is a new pest to South Africa, which means that no pesticide has been registered to be used against it.

"Chemical suppliers are encouraged to apply for emergency registration of agricultural chemicals to be used on maize and other host plants," it said in a statement.

The department promised to approve various pest control products from next week.

Mainly yellow maize varieties had been hard hit by the invasion of armyworm in Limpopo and the North West.

The department said it would continue to assess the spread of the pest and damage it has caused.

Originated from the Americas, the fall armyworm is reported to have ravaged crops in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

A UN food agency said the armyworms have also spread to other southern African countries including Namibia and Mozambique. Countries with confirmed outbreaks can face import bans on their agricultural products. Endit