Government Supplied Of Chemicals For Fall Armyworms Invasion In Two Severly Affected Regions And NADMO Preparedness

The alarming call by Ghana Peasant Farmers Association for mass spraying exercise to control Fall Armyworm Invasion in the country have received President Akufo Addo Government attention and over 8,000 hectares farmlands are expected to enjoy free emergency procured/supplied of chemicals and biological pesticides by Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) with its trained syndicates and NADMO on standby to assist beneficiaries in education on effective pesticide usage to ensure good health for farm themselves and consumers to avoid adverse side effects such as feeling body itching, vomiting and collapse of farmers who failed to use protective clothing during spraying exercise.

This action of Government can be describe as a follow up to last week Formation and Inauguration of a 14 Member National Taskforce with key state Agencies including NADMO Director-General and his Technical Advisory Committee on Pest and Insect Infestation Disasters while similar committees are expected to have been formed at the Regional, District and Community levels across the country.

According to National Disaster Management Plan (2010), NADMO is Mandatory Agency in emergency response to disasters in terms of Public Education and Information Dissemination in collaboration with Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies, MoFA (Plant Protection and Regulatory Directorate, Agric Extension Services Division, Veterinary Services Department), Information Service Department, Media (Print and Electronic), Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). COCOBOD, Ghana Food and Drugs Authority as well as United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

For instance after the ex-famine and the inception of NADMO , its 1997 major field operation on pest and infestation included Armyworm Invasion in the 3 Northern Regions, Ejura in Ashanti Region, Dahweya in Greater Accra, Hatorgolo in Volta Region, where seeds, protective clothing and chemicals among other were provided to farmers amounted to GH¢70,000.00 the organisation under its new ACT 927 have achieved its major mandates.

According to NADMO Pest and Insect Infestation Technical Advisory Committee (2013) pest and insect disasters normally occur before early rains, as part of Disaster Risk Reduction and early warning signals for stack holders to prepare themselves.

Drought is one of the top 2 hazards that threaten Ghana’s Disaster Management Process and also serve as early warning signals of famine that use insects and pest infestation as primary stage of hunger. As a result NADMO Community Resilience through Early Warning (CREW) Project have indentified 50 Drought prone Districts countrywide and most of these Districts have been severely affected by the Fall Armyworm Invasion with all the top five drought prone Districts in Brong Ahafo Region (Techiman North and South, Atebubu Amantin, Sene West and East), Ejura Sekyere Dumase in Ashanti Region highly affected with Ashanti Region receiving chemicals for over 2000 hectares of farms while Brong Ahafo region had over 6,000 consignment for free distribution to affected farmers as part of government measures to control the Fall Armyworm Invasion.

The Techiman Municipal NADMO secretariat upon being alerted by the Agricultural Department coupled with the regional director of NADMO request for comprehensive report on the Armyworm Invasion and as part of Disaster Risk Reduction and early warning signals, the Techiman NADMO secretariat had established emergency numbers 0246587052/ WhatsApp 0203326698 with Classic FM (91.9MHz) leading the crusade for farmers to report to Techiman NADMO/Agricultural Department offices and over 100 farmers have so far registered with over 500 acres destroyed by Fall Armyworm Invasion as emergency means of improving situation in faced of financial challenges for full assessment.

According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, GH¢8,000,000.00 is required for public education while GH¢8,000,000.00 for emergency procurement of chemicals for free distribution to affected farmers in the country.

Report from the Food and Agriculture Organization consultant in Ghana, Mr. Nii Hammond, the damages caused by the pests in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya in terms of hectares are 90,000, 130,000 and 87,000 respectively which is far in excess of Ghana’s situation of over 1,370 hectares and therefore the government’s actions are timely.

More attention is therefore required in NADMO drought prone areas namely Upper East Region; Kasena Nankana East and West, Bawku East and West and Bulsa South, Upper West Region; Lawra, Wa, Nadowli, Sissala East and Jirapa, Northern Region; North Gonja, Bunkpurugu Yunyoo, Mamprugo, Maoduri, Tamale and Bole, Greater Accra; La, Madina Nkwanta, La Dade Kotopon, Accra, Ga Central and Ashaiman, Western Region, Elembele, Jomoro, Bia West and East, Aowin Suaman, Central Region; Gomoa East, Agona West, Ekumfi, Awutu Senya and Cape Coast, Ashanti Region; Asante Akim South, Asante North and Central, Offinso North and Ejura Sekyere Dumase, Volta Region; Adaklu, Afadjato, Agortime Ziope, Akatsi North and South.

I therefore call on private and public persons, research institutions/universities and Ghana Agro-Chemical Producers and Sellers Associations as well as the media to emulate the good example of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Classic FM as part of public awareness education and mobilization to combat the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda smith) Invasion.

Disaster occurrence has no time, hence the Assemblies Management should act with urgency before their new Chief Executives are sworn into office nationwide to avoid the Fall Armyworm situation gaining epidemic status.

Submitted By: Iddrisu Neindow Baba – Disaster Management Student of University of Cape Coast and Administrator (NADMO-Techiman Municipal Secretariat)