Government has dispatched a team of agriculture experts to Chikankata constituency to investigate the suspected grain borer that is reported to have wrecked havoc on maize crops.
Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba told ZANIS in Mazabuka today, the experts would concentrate their investigations in Chikankata, Upper Kaleya and Mabwetuba wards where massive devastation has been reported.
Mr Hamaamba said his office is worried and concerned with the presence of suspected grain borer because Chikankata constituency is the main food basket for the district and the province.
He said the district risked being plunged into a serious food crisis if no meaures are put in place by the Ministry of agriculture to come to the rescue of the affected farmers.
Meanwhile, Chikankata area member of parliament, Munji Habeenzu has called on the office of the vice President to declare Chikankata area a disaster area because of the high level of devastation on crops by the suspected grain borer.
Mr Habeenzu said government should move in quickly and send officers from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to assess the extent of damage caused so far.
He said the long dry spell being experienced in most parts of the constituency is also threatening household food security in the area.
ZANIS
Sounds serious. Why dont they use pesticides?
Can the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and co-operatives move in quickly to arrest the situation minus politicking. otherwise i urge the MP and Her Royal Highness to take the district Agriculture office to task before the poor villagers remain hopelessly.
The world may end starting from Mazabuka. It is Mazabuka this, mazabuka that from Hiv/AIDS infection, defile cases, rape to grain borer.
‘suspected grain borer!’ if there are hole its a grain borer period, were the authors avoiding being sued by the grain borer. sounds as though the grain borer is innocent till found guilty