No registered pesticides to battle armyworm outbreak, says agriculture ministry
SA is urgently registering pesticides for use against maize-attacking armyworms as a larvae outbreak is all-but confirmed in Limpopo and North West
Thabazimbi — SA’s agriculture ministry is registering pesticides for use against the fall armyworm in the event that tests confirm the presence of the Central American pest in the country’s maize belt, a spokesperson said on Thursday. Countries with confirmed outbreaks can face import bans on agricultural products because the armyworm is classified as a quarantine pest that can cause extensive damage to crops and has a preference for maize, the regional staple. South African authorities expect to make a positive identification within days. The use of pesticides on commercial crops in SA is strictly regulated and legal clarity about what chemicals to use will be required to fight any armyworm outbreak. "We don’t have any registered pesticides for the fall armyworm because we have never had it here before. We are busy with the registration process now," Bomikazi Molapo, the spokeserson at the agriculture ministry said. Industry sources have raised concerns about there being no pestici...
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