Resurgence of fall army worm will not affect food security – Agric Ministry

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has assured farmers that it has the recent outbreak of fall army worm under control and that the resurgence of the worms will not have a negative impact on food security.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced the resurgence of Fall Army worms infestation in the country on Tuesday.

A statement from the Ministry revealed that pockets of fall army worms have infected maize planted in low lands and moistened fields in some districts in the Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra and Western regions.

The ministry has since cautioned farmers to report early signs of army worm invasions on their farms for the necessary medications to be applied on the farms.

“Farmers are being informed to monitor their fields frequently just after seed emergence for early detection of signs and symptoms of FAW infestation and implement the necessary management options at the vulnerable stages of the larvae Farmers and the general public are to report FAW infestations to the nearest Department of Agriculture Office, Agricultural Extension Agents or Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate Head Office,” a statement from the Ministry noted.

Speaking on Atinka AM Drive with host Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Director of National Plant Protection and Regulatory Service at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Mrs. Felicia Ansah Amprofi said it has advised farmers to maintain a high level of sanitation on their farms since unhygienic farms aids the infestation of the fall army worms.

She noted that the Ministry of Agric has made available pesticides to all District Agric Officers across the country.

“We have allocated pesticides which have been vetted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to our various district offices for the perusal of all small scale farmers”, she said.

Asked whether the infestation of the fall army worms could be eradicated completely to prevent future occurrences, Dr. Mrs. Felicia Ansah Amprofi answered in the negative explaining that the infestation can be managed and lower its destructive levels.

She cited the infestation of mosquitoes, which has been in Africa for such a long time but has not been eradicated.

Dr. Mrs. Felicia Ansah Amprofi, however, hinted that the ministry was working on a biological way of controlling the fall army worms by using ”natural enemies”, insects, which attack the fall army worms and prevent infestation. Read Full Story