The ministry of Agriculture has dispatched seven thousand litres of Fall Army Worm chemicals to fight against the deadly pest from ravaging field crops in Southern Province.
Southern Province Agricultural Coordinator Max Choombe says the chemicals are being distributed to all the 13 districts and affected farmers in the province to combat the pest.
Dr. Choombe said quantities of chemicals being distributed per district are dependent on reports received from District Agricultural Coordinators in terms of areas affected and also the areas at risk.
He further explained that chemical distribution is also dependent on the number of farmers in a given district because the more the number of farmers the more the infestation.
The chemicals distributed from the Provincial Office to District Agricultural Coordinators in the province and subsequently to farmers should be strictly for free and not for sale.
Dr. Choombe also observed that farmers should realise that the chemicals are an emergency measure and they are also expected to buy their own chemicals to assist in controlling and containing the pest.
He disclosed that his office has received reports of Fall Army Worm attaches on field crops from most districts in Southern Province adding that infestation is at the small level.
The PACO further pointed out that so far the crop stand in the province is very good for the 2020/2021 season noting that if there will be no floods the province anticipates a bumper harvest.
Dr. Choombe said most of the maize in the field is green and not yellow as it has received fertilizer.
The recipient districts of the Fall Army Worm chemicals as Kazungula, Livingstone, Zimba, Kalomo, Choma, and Sinazongwe.
Others are Pemba, Namwala, Gwembe, Monze, Chikankata, Mazabuka, and Siavonga.
Very timely move
Army worms are a danger to our food security…thank you for your timely intervention
How I wish these things were edible like other insects so that tuelepwishyanya. Food chain
Army worms are destructive… Thank you so much for your quick response
I have always asked this question. Is there no insect or animal that plays on these things so that we use the food chain? Anyway that is why we need research centres to look into variuos ways to control them. This issue of chemical spray can be harmful to the very environment we want food from.
Army worms are an addition to the cost of growing maize that never used to be there.
We are a working government n will ensure that our people’s pressing issues are addressed. Vote Wisely.
My government always take the right decision at a right time. We can never see a delay in their initiatives.
PF government is active in their job because the President of this country is active. We never heard on the news channel that something happened today, and the government is considering it months later!
The deadly pests could destroy the whole field if the Fall Army Worm chemicals didn’t spray on time. And, the hard work of farmers will be wasted, plus there could be a scarcity of crop supplements in the country. The Agricultural Minister is aware of all these possibilities and hence took the decision on time.
Already our farmers suffered a lot due to the pandemic. Glad to know that the government is keeping a close watch on the agricultural sector and distributes needed requirements on time.
The pandemic affected the country financially. As the country was under lockdown, business sectors were not able to generate income. But still, President Lungu managed to distributed cash and other needed things to beneficiaries on time. And some dull people say that President Lungu is spending people’s money on the election campaign.
Things could have turned worst if the government would delay in chemical distribution. Who said that the government is busy in the election campaign and so, they have less attention towards Zambians?
And that why PF winning in every election. Zambians have already predicted the winner of the 2021 general elections and its PF, again. PF is strong and powerful and doesn’t have any competition.