'Pest group' to tackle armyworm invasion - govt

Cape Town – The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has founded a pest action group to help combat the spread of the fall armyworm, which threatens to severely impact food crops, especially maize. 

At a media briefing on Thursday following a Cabinet meeting the previous day, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe said the DAFF has launched a number of awareness campaigns to provide farmers with accurate technical information and control options. 

The DAFF will also ensure the emergency registration of agricultural chemicals. 

The fall armyworm has invaded farms across South Africa and will in all likelihood eat into the profits of maize farmers who now have to spend thousands of rand on pesticides to fight the invasion. 

The arrival of the alien species threatens to hurt maize output as southern Africa is recovering from its worst drought in over 35 years, even as rainfall improves.

READ: Alien armyworm invades maize in drought-hit southern Africa 

The pest has been reported in northern Limpopo and North West provinces. 

Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe have already suffered extensive damage to tens of thousands of hectares of mainly maize fields because of the armyworm invasion. 

Radebe on Thursday said in addition to the action group, an emergency response plan has been drafted to deal with new pest detections. 

“Government will continue with its engagement with the South African Development Community to ensure that early warnings of these biological threats are in place,” Radebe said. 

READ: UN meeting warns of 'huge' armyworm threat 

The fall armyworm, which is native to the Americas and costs Brazil $600m a year to control, was first reported in west and central Africa at the start of 2016. The pest has since moved to southern Africa, where it has invaded thousands of hectares of maize fields.