Armyworms could be ‘disastrous’ for SA’s maize
Lusaka — South African maize farms are suffering "extensive" damage from what appears to be an alien caterpillar that destroyed fields in other countries in the region, according to the government. While the government is yet to verify the pest as the fall armyworm that is native to the Americas and arrived in Africa last year, the caterpillar may pose a serious threat to production of the staple food, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. The pest that appeared to be the fall armyworm had been reported in the northern Limpopo and North West provinces, the department said. The North West and central Free State account for the bulk of SA’s output. "If this pest is indeed the fall armyworm, it could be disastrous, particularly to maize production," the department said. Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe already suffered extensive damage to tens of thousands of hectares of mainly maize fields. The arrival of the alien species threate...
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