Online Reporter
Precious Manomano
The Government is implementing comprehensive measures to control pests and support farmers.
Currently, the African armyworm has been reported in every province, prompting Government to set traps in 214 strategically selected sites nationwide.
This initiative is part of a broader surveillance strategy intended to detect and manage infestations before they cause significant damage to crops.
The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka said efforts to deal with the pests are underway.
“We have distributed chemicals in all 60 districts. Fortunately, it’s a very common chemical – carbaryl 85-WFP – which anyone can get from the shelf,” he said.
This accessibility empowers farmers to take immediate action when pests are detected.
The Government has also distributed 600 000 knapsack sprayers.
Dr Masuka emphasised the importance of community involvement.
“It takes all of us, the whole sector. Government has done the facilitation and provided resources, but it takes the farmer and every one of us to ensure that the damage is minimised,” he said.
Dr Masuka said they will continue to scale up the fight against the African armyworm.
“We will assess the severity and the extent of the area that has been devoured by this pest as we do the second round of crop, livestock, and fisheries assessment, which is more quantitative,” Dr Masuka said.
