Swarms of African armyworms have invaded farms in parts of Nakuru County, in Kenya. County Agriculture Chief Officer Mr. Kibet Maina made the announcement and said the destructive worms has so far infested over 10,000 hectares of land in Rongai and Subukia Sub-counties. This according to him is a threatening starvation for humans and livestock.
“The County government lays a lot of emphasis on food security and nutrition and the creation of wealth through agribusiness. We are addressing the African armyworms infestation with prescribed pesticides and other cultural methods,” said the Chief Officer.
Mr. Maina stated that the county administration had dispatched certified spray service providers (SSPs) to help farmers in affected regions in managing and eradicating the pest.
“The African armyworm is different from the fall armyworm. The fall armyworm normally eats young green maize alone. The African armyworms are so deadly because they feed on the entire crop and are active both during the day and in the night. But we are in control and have taken the necessary steps to stop them from spreading any further,” Mr. Kibet explained.
African armyworm
The African armyworm mainly attacks cereals, grasses, barley, pearl millet, African millet, maize, oat, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, wheat and pasture grasses. Mr. Kibet stated that the devolved unit was offering logistics to its agricultural field extension officers to sensitize farmers on how to identify the pests and spray with the right chemicals to contain their spread.
“The training by SSPs included how to maintain personal safety for the spray providers, other humans, livestock, the environment and other forms of life, as well as responsible use of pesticides for maximum effectiveness,” he added.
Mr. Kibet added that the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries had put in place a framework for collaboration and monitoring of migratory and invasive pests adding that it was liaising with various agencies to empower small-scale farmers through training to fight the pest as well as create buffer zones to curb the spread of the armyworms to other areas.
The current outbreak comes at a critical time when farmers are in the devolved unit are in the main maize planting season. A report compiled by the State Department of Crops Development and Research indicates that 500,000 acres of land in Kenya have been affected by the destructive pests.
