Ministry of Agriculture must investigate the maize worm destroying crop in Lusaka East.
This morning I discovered that part of my maize field has been attacked by a worm which is attacking the leaves and eating up the heart inside.
Unlike the worm on the copper belt which is a very visible small caterpillar moving around the field the presence of the worm in Lusaka can only be noticed by the extensive damage it is leaving on the crop.
I send out this alert because it has just come to my attention that nearly all of my fellow farmers in New Kasama are facing the same problem.
According to what my fellow farmers are saying, all the pesticides which they have tries to use have failed to yield results hence this alert and appeal for those with the know how at the Ministry of Agriculture to URGENTLY investigate the situation in Lusaka East.
Edwin Sakala
ZDDM President/FARMER.
Ministry of agric help us its part of your work we need a solution agently
The situation is horrible – the rain pattern is perfect but these worms are causing us sleepless nights. The worms are resistant to pesticides unless you over dose(three times normal dosage). I have had to spray my maize field twice within a week in Chibombo’s ten miles area.
I am a farmer in chibombo district and I went to apply a herbicide in my maize this afternoon and I discovered that the worms were attacking the maize in the field. The government must not fold the hands and watch, there is plenty of information from almost the whole country about these worms
Ministry of Agriculture is overwhelmed. This is a curse after something has not been done correctly. Hunger will be severe this year.
even in NAMWALA southern provice. today I discovered small black worms in my maize field. they eat the heart of maize plants and latter on the whole maize plant dries up.
We need to be proactive by making use of early warning systems which have but are not supported logistically. If these massive resources being mobilized in a reactionary manner could be put into the development and implementation of effective early warning systems, we would be in this panic mode.
Andy Mutinta
I meant Proforce herbicide
I used doom and it killed most of them.
Mount makulu research recommended Proforma and it is working well.
the attack is not just in lsk east but everywhere in lsk.
If research received the desired attention the country would have come to an understanding of the life cycle behavior of these caterpillars (moths/butterflies) in relation to weather patterns. That the raid on agriculture by the same “worms” has been repetitive should have stimulated interest to delve deeper for a solution! My hypothesis is that there are weather patterns that are conducive for the “worms” to resurface (breed) coinciding with the availability of food for them to thrive on! Caterpillars or “worms’ as even the educated would like to call them mature into something else in their adult life (metamorphosis) and scientists have to identify what their adult form is!
I am from my farm now, the situation is unbearable, please may the management team pick up their wipons and visit the farmers
Buy septor from Amiran, I used it on winter maize in October and November when the army worms Attacked my maize field