Worry as Fall Armyworms Invade Kenyan Maize Again

The United States has warned of potential losses in major maize producing countries in Africa, Kenya is among them, due to the invasion of the deadly Fall Armyworm.

As a result, over 50 percent of maize is expected to decline annually which in turn might lead to huge losses in the food and financial sectors

Apart from affecting maize, the pest is said to also attack other cereals like millet and sorghum. Sugar and cotton can also be infested by Fall Armyworms.

According to the coordinator of a US Agency for International Development (USAID) task force focused on the threat, Regina Eddy, the invasion of Fall Armyworms in Africa is a serious one that needs proper strategies in place as they pests are likely to remain in the African farms for a very long period due to conducive climatic conditions for the pests.

“Sub-Saharan climate conditions are ideal for the rapid spread of the fall armyworm. The absence of frost will enable the pest to live throughout the year, multiply quickly and damage crops over a wide area,” said Ms. Eddy.

Ms. Eddy noted that the anticipated ravages caused by the insect, which is actually a caterpillar and not a worm, could well worsen critical food shortages afflicting parts of Kenya and other African countries.

Last year, Kenyan maize farmers faced the invasion of armyworms which affected the production. The pest affected more than 143,000 hectares of land in major maize and wheat-producing counties. FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture adopted a planning response figure of 800,000 hectares, which required US$33.5 million for pesticides and awareness campaigns in the medium term. US$6.6 million was required for an immediate response.

In fighting back against the pest, “we do believe all technological options should be on the table,” Ms. Eddy declared.

That includes the use of genetically modified maize seeds that enable plants to resist the fall armyworm’s aggression has been said to be among the best ways of fighting against the pest.

Fall Armyworms have been controlled in the US and Brazil, where about 85 percent of maize farmers plant GMO seeds, Ms. Eddy observed.

USAID recently arranged for officials from 10 African countries, including Kenya, to visit Brazil to learn about its successful methods of defending against fall armyworm.

Chemical and organic pesticides have proved effective. The bug can also be removed from leaves by labor-intensive handpicking.

Inter-cropping, or planting rows of beans alongside maize, can also be used to “confuse the fall armyworm” and lessen its destructiveness.

USAID is providing video clips and other visual aids to African farmers to help them identify the distinctive markings of the fall armyworm.

Under an Obama-era initiative known as Feed the Future, the US plans to spend up to $400,000 on digital means of combating the fall armyworm in Africa. Cash prizes will be awarded to digital developers who devise the most promising solutions.