Over 133,000 Hectares of maize fields in SP infested with Armyworms
Over one hundred and thirty-three thousand hectares of maize fields in Southern Province have been infested by fall armyworms.
Southern Province Acting Agricultural Coordinator Evans Nkhoma says the infestation rate is at thirty-five percent.
Mr. Nkhoma says the infestation has been reported from one hundred fifty-five thousand, seven hundred and fifteen households in the province.
He says the Ministry of Agriculture has provided six thousand litres of synthetic insecticides to contain the pest.
Mr. Nkhoma disclosed this during a five-day workshop for integrated pest management for fall armyworms held in Choma.
Meanwhile, Assistant National Fall Armyworms Coordinator Dr. Sally Chikuta says the integrated pest management trainings have been going on for the past three years in the country to control and contain the pest.
Dr. Chikuta further notes that the agricultural staff are disseminating the knowledge on integrated pest management to farmers.
