Several farmlands at Nakpanduri in the North East Region have been infested by fall army worms.
Farmers in the affected areas are lamenting the absence of adequate chemicals to stop the onslaught of the pests.
According to the farmers, they have been compelled to use alternative means such as handpicking, mixture of pepper, omo, dry battery liquid to manage the situation.
A farmer in Nakpanduri Duut Abdulai Gariba revealed that his five-acre maize farm had been destroyed by the fall army worms.
He lamented about the investment he injected into the farm hoping to get a bumper harvest which would be used to pay his school fees and also take care of his family but the farm has been destroyed by the fall armyworm.
‘If we are not lucky, this year we might not get a bumper harvest due to the invasion of the fall armyworm.’
Mr.Gariba said the farm is the only source of income for his family adding that he might not farm next farming season because no income will be realized from this farming season.
He appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and other institutions to come to the aid of farmers in the area with chemicals to fight the fall armyworms.
The fall armyworm which was detected in West Africa in 2016 has destroyed thousands of hectors of farmlands.
The fall armyworm has appetite for consuming maize, cereals, and leafy vegetables.
The Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri MoFA Director, Mr Suwale Abukari said that the fall armyworm has resurfaced in the district but was quick to add that some chemicals have been distributed to farmers in the district.
Mr Abukari hinted that they have run short chemicals in the district to supply to farmers.
He admitted that the chemicals received in the district were not enough to be distributed to every farmer in the area.
‘We have made another request for more chemicals because looking at what was brought was not sufficient.’
According to him, the district agric offices have embarked on a sensitization tour to educate farms about how to tackle the fall armyworm issue.
He urged farmers to desist from using unapproved methods to fight the fall armyworm adding that it could affect the plant development.
Credit: Daily Guide