Engage research institutions for effective pesticides for Fall Armyworm

Accra, July 21, GNA - Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has suggested to the government to engage research institutions to recommend the effective pesticides to combat the pest.

The Association has also commended the government for its arrangement to combat the situation.

A statement issued in Accra by Madam Victoria Adongo, Programme Coordinator of PFAG, said all District Directors of Agriculture and the extension service officers should be resourced with emergency funds to move into farming communities for mass spraying exercise.

It said food production in Ghana was threatened due to the FAW invasion on food crops, particularly maize.

The PFAG expressed the belief that, the situation was getting out of control hence, government should declare a state of emergency to give the Minister and his Emergency Management Team more latitude to deal with the situation quickly.

The Members of the Association were particularly concerned about the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme and the devastating effect of the Fall Army Worm (FAW).

It said the Association believes that, this could have dire consequences on the food security situation, if emergency measures were not put in place to mitigate the effect.

The statement said earlier intervention by the government looked promising, unfortunately however, the current situation indicates otherwise.

The statement said members are therefore, particularly concerned about food security, hunger and the strategies adopted by government to address the menace so far on the FAW.

It said since this was becoming an annual affair, adequate provision should be made in subsequent budget to cater for risk management and emergencies.

It said government should intensify monitoring and data collection of affected farms and make allocation in the 2018 budget for compensation.

'PFAG suggests that, all available platforms including traditional and non-traditional media should be employed in the dissemination of information regarding how to deal with the situation by farmers,' it said.

It said the Association was not impressed with the approach adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture to combat the situation and believes that, the public education was not reaching the most rural parts of the country, where farmers are experiencing the effect.

The invasion of Fall Army Worm is a national food security threat that can affect the growth of Agriculture in Ghana, hence the need to declare a state of emergency.

PFAG are ready to help government in ensuring that this invasion does not become an annual ritual and prepared to provide policy alternatives to ensure that, we become food sufficient.

GNA

By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA