Maize pest hits 22 states in Nigeria

African armyworm caterpillar, a pest in maize, is currently ravaging farms in 22 states of the country.
This was disclosed by an official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Assistant Director and Desk Officer, Maize Value Chain, Dr Adeleke Muftau, told newsmen that the outbreak was a threat to national food security and maize production in the country.
Muftau said in Abuja on Monday that the affected states were spread across the six geo-political zones of the country.
He said this may lead to scarcity of maize in the country if not adequately controlled.
The officer, who expressed concern over the extent of damage the worms had done to farms, said that the government would embark on massive training for selected farmers across the country.

He said, “Maize is an integral food, staple food in the country and one of the major food crops apart from rice and wheat.
“The ministry is planning to train farmers on how to control the menace.
“We have visited farms and we have seen the devastation that has occurred in those farms and for us to reduce or alleviate farmers suffering and losses, we need to train them.
“The usual method of spraying chemicals is not effective because it was discovered that the armyworms usually bury themselves in the maize.

“The normal way of spraying does not touch the worms and that is why farmers are complaining that the chemicals are not effective. It is the method of application that is wrong.”
The desk officer noted that the ministry had made provisions for the control of the disease in the 2017 budget to avoid further spread of the pest.
He said that the pest was also capable of infecting guinea corn and millet.
Muftau disclosed that the ministry was collaborating with the International Institute for Agricultural Research to develop a resistant variety to the pests.