Efforts to contain red locusts in southern Malawi are being hampered by local communities who regard the migratory pests as a delicacy. Local media, however, reports warnings by the Ministry of Agriculture to refrain from eating the insects, went largely unheeded in the Mulanje district. “The red locust, dzombe as…
As temperatures increase, fall armyworm has also been spotted in maize fields in the northern parts of Namibia, near Ruacana. According to Albertus Viljoen, manager of the government farm Etunda, the worms already occur in large numbers on young maize on the farm. The worm was first spotted on the…
Enabling quick and coordinated responses are essential in staying ahead of the fall armyworm, otherwise it could cost Africa dearly, said Dr Joseph DeVries, Vice President of Program Development and Innovation at the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Research done by the UK’s Department for International Development at…
A coordinated strategy to decrease the damage caused by fall armyworm in southern Africa, before the next season starts, was developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). David Phiri, FAO coordinator in southern Africa, said the strategy includes observations and reporting of the pest, recordings of the…
