Pests threaten food security

Africa—At least 30 districts in the Central and Eastern provinces of Africa have reported cases of armyworm and bollworm infestation, raising concerns over damage to crops after a prolonged drought.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the development could threaten the country’s food security, which has already shown signs of deteriorating.

“The infestation may be attributable to climatic change. The rains have led to a quick multiplication of the pests,” said the deputy director of agriculture in the plant protection services division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Joseph Ngetich. He said intermittent periods of rainfall provide good conditions for the hatching of the pests’ eggs.

This has been the case since October when heavy rains that fell after the drought concentrated egg-laying moths and provided grass and cereals for newly hatched caterpillars. Dry sunny periods, as experienced in November, during the caterpillars’ development, promoted their survival and rapid development.

The reports of the threat to food security come as top government officials meet on Tuesday to decide the fate of duty free maize imports, in a move expected to determine the pricing of maize flour in the coming months. Already, millers have warned that consumers should be ready to pay more for maize meal if the duty-free window is closed.

Read the full story at Daily Nation.