Ghanaian farmers troubled with armyworm invasion

The plant protection and regulatory services directorate of the Food and Agriculture Ministry has confirmed the invasion of fall armyworms on some farms in Ghana.
 

Some maize farmers in the Ashanti region say they are already losing their investments as a result of the pest infestation. Affected farmers in Obuasi and Afari in the Ashanti region says they are recording huge loss as the application of diverse pesticides fails to control the menace.
 

Reacting to the fall armyworms invasion and its threat to food security in the country, the Ashanti Regional plant protection officer Godson Tetteh said, the country risk losing its sustainable food security policy if immediate action is not taken to control the invasion of the pests.
 

“The fall armyworm is a major threat to food security because it easily spread from one farm to the other if not controlled effectively. The government therefore has to give the right support to the plant protection directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to handle the situation on time”, He advised.
 

He also called on farmers to report any unusual pest invasion on their farms to the district agric office and desist from applying multiple pesticides. Scientists have called for an urgent action to halt spread of the fall armyworms which threatens food security in Africa.