As part of future measures to control the fall armyworm invasion should it occur, the 2016 Second National Best Farmer, Ariku Martin Akudugu has suggested that a nationwide spraying of the pests could be a remedy to eradicate them.
The ravage of the pests in the country is severe that some farmers predict food insecurity in the country this year.
The Upper East Region alone recorded over 11,000 hectares of farmlands affected by the pests. But in what could be a remedy, Mr. Ariku proposed that government should consider spraying the entire country on air and on land to get rid of the pests from further wreck on crops. He spoke exclusively to A1radio.
“The fall armyworm, if you study the characteristics very well, it flights as a butterfly and as a lover. The lovers are the worms eating the maize but the butterflies flies and hides under trees and other areas. So if we don’t spray from the air and now cushion farmers with the chemicals to spray from the ground, we will still have this problem”
However, Upper East Regional Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Officer, Patrick Yensingit is optimistic the government will prepare well to control the pests should they resurface next year. Mr. Yensingit urged farmers to report to his outfit immediately upon suspicion of fall armyworm attack on their farms.
By: Joshua Asaah|A1radioonline.com|Ghana
