Rukwa region receives butterfly snares

From PETI SIYAME in Sumbawanga

AGRICULTURE Ministry has distributed snares to catch butterflies in an attempt to discover the magnitude of Fall Armyworm -Spodoptera frugiperda - in Rukwa Region.

The traps have been distributed to four councils in the region, including Kalambo, Nkasi, Sumbawanga municipality and Sumbawanga District. The latest statistics indicate that Fall
Armyworms were first discovered in the country in Nkasi District, Rukwa Region, in March, 2017.
The Harmful Crop Pest Controller, Mr Ayoub Nchimbi, from the Ministry of Agriculture, speaking at the handover of the snares here, said Rukwa Region is the first to receive the traps after the Fall Armyworms were discovered for the first time in the country in Nkasi District. He urged agricultural extension officers in all four councils in the region to undertake extensive research to discover the magnitude of the Fall Army worms
. “Fall armyworm can be one of the most difficult insect pests to control in maize fields … late planted fields and late maturing hybrids are more likely to be infested. Fall armyworm causes serious leaf feeding damage as well as direct injury to the ear. While fall armyworms can damage corn plants in nearly all stages of development, ” he noted.
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a species in the order of Lepidoptera and is the larval life stage of a fall armyworm moth that was seen for the first time in America and in 2016, the insect pests were seen for the first time in Nigeria and until February 2017 it had infected South Africa, Central and East Africa including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.
Rukwa Regional Commissioner (RC) Joachim Wangabo urged the agricultural experts in the region to chart out ways of having correct statistics in efforts to control the harmful insect pests.
Acting Agriculture Officer from the Regional Secretariat Ocran Chengula, told the ‘Daily News’ on the sideline of the handing over event that after the discovery of the armyworm in Nkasi District, it was reported on December 2017 to have infected 15 other regions famous for maize production.
He named the regions as Mbeya, Ruvuma, Iringa, Geita, Shinyanga, Manyara, Arusha, |Kilimanjaro, Morogoro, Tanga, Kigoma, Kagera, Mwanza, Mara, Coast and Lindi.