Agriculture ministry identifies pests
The caterpillars destroying crops in northern Namibia have been identified as bollworm, army worm and maize stalk borer.
KENYA KAMBOWE
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry has identified three species of caterpillars that are causing havoc in fields in the north-central and north-eastern regions.
Namibia will likely have to import more maize because of the outbreak, as most northern farms and irrigation projects have been hit hard.
In January the ministry confirmed the outbreak in the Omusati, Ohangwena, Kavango East and Kavango West regions.
That prompted the ministry to send entomologists to the affected areas to inspect the damage and identify the caterpillars.
The ministry yesterday identified the culprits as army worms, bollworms and maize stalk borers.
“Serious damage was observed to be a result of fall army worms, which feed on the foliage part of the plant, while bollworms cause damage to leaves and to the developing cobs at the milk stage. Stalk borers are a common occurrence but do not cause serious damage, unlike army worms and bollworms,” the statement read.
The ministry explained that these caterpillars are likely to recur every rainy season if materials containing eggs are not destroyed.
During a recent visit to the Etunda Green Scheme irrigation project and a number of small-scale farms in the Omusati Region, it was evident that the caterpillars were causing havoc. Farmers said it was the first time that caterpillars had destroyed so much of their fields.
Some tried to spray pesticides to rescue their crops but the caterpillars kept going.
“They are not new to us but the manner in which they came this year, they are just too many, uncontrollable and they are just destroying everything,” one farmer said.
Etunda project manager Albertus Viljoen told Namibian Sun that climate change and a lack of rain were some of the causes of this outbreak.
He said 30 hectares of maize was destroyed at the scheme and had to be ploughed under.
Viljoen said they hoped to rescue 60 more hectares that were partly affected by the caterpillars.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry has identified three species of caterpillars that are causing havoc in fields in the north-central and north-eastern regions.
Namibia will likely have to import more maize because of the outbreak, as most northern farms and irrigation projects have been hit hard.
In January the ministry confirmed the outbreak in the Omusati, Ohangwena, Kavango East and Kavango West regions.
That prompted the ministry to send entomologists to the affected areas to inspect the damage and identify the caterpillars.
The ministry yesterday identified the culprits as army worms, bollworms and maize stalk borers.
“Serious damage was observed to be a result of fall army worms, which feed on the foliage part of the plant, while bollworms cause damage to leaves and to the developing cobs at the milk stage. Stalk borers are a common occurrence but do not cause serious damage, unlike army worms and bollworms,” the statement read.
The ministry explained that these caterpillars are likely to recur every rainy season if materials containing eggs are not destroyed.
During a recent visit to the Etunda Green Scheme irrigation project and a number of small-scale farms in the Omusati Region, it was evident that the caterpillars were causing havoc. Farmers said it was the first time that caterpillars had destroyed so much of their fields.
Some tried to spray pesticides to rescue their crops but the caterpillars kept going.
“They are not new to us but the manner in which they came this year, they are just too many, uncontrollable and they are just destroying everything,” one farmer said.
Etunda project manager Albertus Viljoen told Namibian Sun that climate change and a lack of rain were some of the causes of this outbreak.
He said 30 hectares of maize was destroyed at the scheme and had to be ploughed under.
Viljoen said they hoped to rescue 60 more hectares that were partly affected by the caterpillars.
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Namibian Sun
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