Chilufya(l) after the visit to Kalingalinga Clinic. Picture by Ennie
Kishiki/Zanis.
President Edgar Lungu has directed the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU)under the Office of the Vice-President to join the Ministry of Agriculture in an emergency operation to curb the spread of army worms that have invaded some districts on the Copperbelt, Luapula and Central Provinces.
The operation involves among other Government agencies, the Ministry of Agriculture, DMMU and the Zambia Air force (ZAF).
The Zambia Air Force has since began to airlift chemicals to Ndola on the Copperbelt, Chinsali in Muchinga Province, Kasama in Northern Province and Chipata in Eastern Province.
The District Agriculture Coordinators (DACOs) for Lusaka, Luapula and North Western Provinces have already collected the chemicals.
President Lungu has directed that the chemicals that were purchased under emergency operations should be distributed to all parts of the country although the outbreak of army worms has been reported on the Copperbelt, Luapula and Central Provinces.
The DMMU and Ministry of Agriculture will be doing random checks across the country tomorrow (Thursday) to ensure that the emergency operation of spraying was going on as directed.
President Lungu is concerned that if the outbreak of the worms is not controlled speedily, the crop yield for 2016/2017 may negatively be affected.
He has assured farmers that all provinces will receive the chemicals by tomorrow morning.
“All DACOs are expected to closely monitor the operations against army worms and provide regular reports on the situation,” State House Spokesman Amos Chanda said in a statement.
Good to see that ZAF will join the fight against Army worms
Kikikiki I think the Army will win.
how can he curb worms when he is a worm himself. a slow worm
Really? Ba lusaka times! Does it have to take the whole of the Presidency to curb worms?the President can request Her Honour the VP to use the DMMU to liaise with Ministry of Agriculture to curb army worms. I sense that Lusaka times has joined the state media to create a “personality cult “got ECL. … If that’s the intention in your reportage, just know that it is making him look bad as a typical dictator who is always dictating.
SOON HE WILL BE COMMISSIONING UKUNYA IFISUSHI
Does the Ministry of Agriculture have a division comprising experts in pest control with ongoing research? I bet you that there are none if not only staff with personal interest otherwise its one of those areas where research does not even receive any funding and is only considered reactively when some kind of pest surfaces!
Why not package them for export to RSA or China.
Always giving directives this Lazy Bum Edgar..
If he does not give directives, the same idio.ts here will be castigating him.
Bad things are happening in Zambia.we are in trouble
Army worms have been showing up in Zambia longer than you have been on the earth, so trying to dramatize everything. Not all things are political, wildlife and insects like to chill too.
Ba dundumwezi that’s what you just wish for. You are in trouble alone.
I am not even upset at the president anymore, who are all these people working in these various agencies that do not know their job description. The president does not need to tell the minister of works and supply how much tissue to purchase for state house. What is wrong with our government?
The consequences of mocking God….
Minister of agriculture will heap the blame on the presidential petition, as reason why chemicals have been delivered late.
The kind of insults some of you UPND chaps are accustomed to are nothing but a poor reflection on your upbringing! I think your parents used to insult each other and as a result you picked up the bad habit of insulting out of boredom.
Mr President sir pay no attention to these sewage and fecal matter stained empty tins, they have been brainwashed by lucifer!
Mr President sir, keep up the great work your sense of urgency in this matter is further testament of your love for all Zambians regardless of tribe! Abash army worms!!!!
So you claim upnd insult and then you go on to issue insults. ****** we
At least they are not calling for another day of prayers. We need to be wise to the consequences of Climate Change and plan ahead. This year alone we should expect more pest pressure on our crops such as Army worms, Stork borers and there is a real risk for locust invasions. If only we could talk real issues and not always politics then we would have foreseen these calamities. Good luck!
So those organs of government are just robotic arms waiting for one guy in State House to act!? What a mess we have in our country. Who the heck brought back this UNIPist mediocrity all the way from the early 20th Century kanshi imwe!?? Awe mwe!
Lungu gave directives for input distribution and it worked. Lungu has given directives to fight army worms. But where is the minister of agric???
just here in Kabangwe area they(worms/-army)have devastated our crops, who can we contact for the right chemicals asap?????????