Health experts across the world on Tuesday gathered in Zimbabwe to discuss the recent outbreak of armyworms that is devastating crops in some African countries.
The meeting in Harare will last for the next three days and is expected to present an opportunity for participants to find a comprehensive strategy towards dealing with the worms’ evasion.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN has warned that the pests could destroy farmlands leading to sever food shortages in parts of the African continent.
The armyworms have already destroyed farmlands in Southern African countries of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
2,000 hectares of crops in Malawi have already been destroyed. 28 districts were reported to have been affected when the outbreak was confirmed in January this year.
South Africa’s department of agriculture early this month also said that scientific tests have confirmed the presence of the invasive fall armyworm in the maize belt, the first time the crop-damaging pest has been detected there.
The fall armyworm is an invasive Central American species that is harder to detect and eradicate than its African counterpart.
Source: Africafeeds.com
