HIVOS calls for sustainable ways of fighting army worms

The invasion of Fall Armyworms pose present danger to the countries staple food (Maize) if not addressed properly as the country risks being food insecure come, next year.

The Army worms are spreading at a very fast rate  with 44, 322 farmers covering about 34, 000 hectares of land affected in 18 Districts out of 117 Districts countrywide.

But HIVOS Advocacy Officer for Sustainable Diets, William Chilufya says it is crucial to develop some coherent mechanisms in order to contain the devastation that the pests can cause.

“When you begin to look at army worms in Zambia, I will recall the former Minister of Agriculture who said that the army worms are here to stay with us, I think this is a fact that we should begin to embrace as a country and begin to think of the consequences of having these [army worms]. And when you look at the consequences one of them is that food security that comes at play, so what do we need to ensure that we are food secured, despite living with the army worms?” He questioned.

And Mr. Chilufya has called for more investment in this development.

“There are certain countries that have already made headways in eradicating the fall of armyworms, for example in Tanzania and Ethiopia, the small holder farmers with the support of their government, they have been experimenting what  they can do to fight army worms, Chilufya explained. 

For example in Tanzania the simple measures they have come up with to arrest this problem are that, Farmers are spraying the affected maize with sugar concoction and what is happening is that the ants are following the sugar potion onto the maize and in the process they are eating both larva as well as the army worms, in the process the [ants] are attacking the army worms.

“In Zambia the approach is that we have spraying chemicals. Fine it will kill the army worms but at the end of the day these chemicals are also harmful to a human being, so we need to come up with solutions that can take care the health aspect of the Human being so that in the process we do not lose lives as we kill the army worms,” He added.

And in Malawi farmers are using home-made remedies to control army worms after exhausting pesticide options on the market meant to combat the crop-munching pests.

“In this case you will find that it is a much more natural way that does not pose danger to human health,”Chilufya explained.

“So we need to begin to be exploring other ways to fight army worms.”

“But you will find that army worms are selective, they are not eating all kinds of crops, what kind of crops can we also begin to promote which are not been attacked by army worms. So there is also millet, sorghum, we haven’t heard these been attacked so this is the time that we can also look at other alternative, “He added.

And Mr.Chilufya notes that now that government and its partners are funding the fight against armyworms, farmers who are not yet affected must take advantage of this.

“So in as much as, you know other institutions are funding the government, let’s take opportunity of this unfortunate circumstances of promoting other types of crops that are health and nutritious and are less costly,”Chilufya said.

Meanwhile a concerned citizen Joe Kamutumwa has called on government to beef up the country’s research capacity to accelerate development.

Mr. Kamutumwa says research works into breeding maize plants which are resistant to the pest will be a lasting solution.

Mr. Kamutumwa says there is need for government to invest in seeds that are army worm resistance as opposed to getting chemicals that have to attract huge resources when the country has no money.

“So for instance if this ordinary seed is costing 200 kwacha and then you make this special seed which has a repellant in itself, then you ask someone to pay 250 kwacha. They will buy that seed, people will go an extra mile to buy that seed because it is cheaper to plant a seed as opposed to getting the chemicals that will have to attract huge kind of resources when we don’t have money, am speaking as a citizen, am concerned,” Kamutumwa said.

Early this year, Vice President Ionge Wina disclosed that in order to contain the situation, government has set aside 18.6 million kwacha in 2019 National Budget for control and management of army worms.

And recently government through the Ministry of Agriculture procured 41, 660 liters of chemicals used to fight army worms at a cost of US$500, 000.

Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo revealed that the first consignment of 2500 liters of the chemicals has been delivered to Copperbelt and Central Provinces while Lusaka province will also receive 2500 liters.

In 2017 the fall army worm infestation erupted across Africa including Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa following a cripping El-Nino triggered drought which scorched much of the region in 2016.

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