Fall Armyworm Not Conquered Yet – Agric Ministry

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has ruled out an immediate eradication of the fall army worm invasion in the country.

This follows the resurgence of the pests in some farms across the country this year, despite assurances that the destruction has been brought under control.

The Director of the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate of the Ministry, Dr. Felicia Ansah Amprofi also stressed efforts to reduce the incidences during the main farming season.

She made the remarks at a media briefing in relation to reports of the destruction which the Ministry believes have been exaggerated in some instances leading to a panic situation.

“The worms have come to stay and it has become a regional problem; there is therefore the need to holistically manage so as to reduce its adverse effects on agriculture. With this in mind, we have put in place, short medium and long term management measures. With the support of international organizations such as the FAO and other developmental partners, we have adopted a regional approach to ensure effective management of the fall army worm.”

The United State of America’s Fall Armyworm Taskforce, this week announced that the pest has caused destruction estimated at 13 billion dollars across thirty Africa countries.

The Taskforce also cautioned of the potential damage the worm could have on about eighty other crops such as sorghum.

Reacting to these concerns however, Dr. Ansah Amprofi maintained that the interventions introduced this year should reduce the impact of the worm.

“Our measures include; the deployment of pheromone trap catches in various locations countrywide to ascertain levels of infestation, training of MoFA staff and farmers in farming communities on scouting, early detection and sustainable management of the pest in the event of outbreak,” she explained.

In 2017, the government allocated about 16 million cedis to cater for the harm that the worm had caused.

Source: Citibusinessnews