10,000 hectares of maize farms invaded by army worms

Ejura (Ash), May 25, GNA - About 10,000 hectares of maize farms in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality have come under invasion by army worms.

The Ashanti Regional Director of the Food and Agriculture Ministry (MoFA), Mr. Joseph Falong, said the situation was troubling and required urgent action.

He warned that any delay to stop the destruction by the large colony of army worms could threaten food security.

He was speaking during an inspection of some of the affected farms by the Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah.

The pests were detected, last year, and had since rapidly spread, wreaking havoc on crops.

The Minister had gone to the area - the food basket of the region - accounting for large proportion of grains, cereals and tubers production, to assess the extent of damage and the response to get things under control.

The green-striped caterpillar larvae of moths, belonging to the genus 'spodoptera', are very destructive, because they eat the reproductive parts of the plant and leaves.

Mr. Falong informed the Minister that they had taken delivery of pesticides to spray the farms and this would be carried out by a team of MoFA personnel.

They were eager to get things done quickly to save the investment of farmers and ensure food security.

Mr. Osei-Mensah gave the assurance that no effort would be spared to halt the spread of the pests.

He said developing the nation's agriculture - to increase food production and create jobs was a major priority of the government.

He later inspected road projects, designed to boost economic activities in the area and the adjoining Asante-Mampong Municipality.

These included the Hwediem-Nsuta, Anyinofi-Bondaso and Ejura Market roads.

GNA
By Stephen Asante, GNA