Fall armyworm in some farms at Nakpanduri
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 hand picking, mixture of
pepper, omo, dry battery liquid to manage the situation.
A visit by DAILY GUIDE to Duut
Abdulai Gariba’s farm in Nakpanduri 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 confirmed to DAILY GUIDE 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.
FROM Eric Kombat, Nakpanduri
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