Armyworms destroy crops in eastern Tanzania
Tuesday February 22 2022
Maize plants infested with the fall armyworm. At least 5,204 hectares of food crops have been destroyed by fall armyworms in Tanzania's eastern district of Kilombero in Morogoro region. PHOTO FILE | NATION
At least 5,204 hectares of food crops have been destroyed by fall armyworms in Tanzania's eastern district of Kilombero in Morogoro region, an official said Monday.
Hanji Godigodi, the Kilombero district commissioner, said until now the fall armyworms have destroyed 4,976 hectares of paddy and 228 hectares of maize in 12 wards.
Godigodi said that seven of the 12 wards have been seriously affected by the destruction caused by the fall armyworms. She identified the seven badly affected wards as Lumemo, Msolwa Station, Kiberege, Mang'ula, Mbasa, Kibaoni and Ifakara.
The official said the government has initially supplied poor farmers with 90 liters of pesticides for spraying on their farms. Godigodi said the Kilombero district authorities were in contact with the Ministry of Agriculture for the procurement of 1,500 liters of pesticides to be distributed to affected areas.
A team of experts from the Ministry of Agriculture has been dispatched to affected areas to assess the damage caused by the fall armyworms and educate farmers on how to control the destructive pests, she said.