Speed up efforts to tackle armyworm invasion

As of Monday April 11, at least 38 districts had been hit by the African armyworm invasion. When reports of the pests first surfaced a week earlier, there were 12 districts reporting the invasion. It is possible that as you read this, the number of affected districts would have risen.

 The timing of the invasion of the fall armyworm, a migratory moth that is destructive at larva stage (the caterpillar) when they feed on leaves and pasture, couldn’t have been any worse. Fuel price is at its highest in years, gas price is at its record highest ever, while prices of basic commodities such as foodstuff and household items are threatening the sanity of many.

 The worst is that those trying to find solace in raising wall columns of their buildings are being forced to halt this as the prices of construction materials have joined the competition with the armyworm, fuel and basic commodities. But while it is easy to advise consumers to reduce certain consumption such as of construction material and fuel, the same cannot be said of the armyworm invasion and farmers.

In times of unpredictable weather such as this, food security in the country was already tipping the scales of cost of living.

Many farmers have, over the last few farming seasons, counted huge costs as crops did not yield due to low rainfall and unpredictable weather patterns. The fall armyworms will only escalate the situation – and there can never be the need for swifter and decisive response to a crisis such as what the invasion of the pests present now.

On April 12, the government confirmed an expenditure of Shs600m in the war against the worm. This figure pales in comparison to the Shs25b that the Cabinet sought in January last year to tackle a similar armyworm invasion. Thirteen months might be such a long time but the difference between Shs25b and Shs600m is too gross and begs several questions.

Was the situation then – also in 30 districts as today – worse than today? Or could it be that this time we are not that concerned about the possible destruction to crops and resultant food crisis?  If the indeed just Shs600m can do, was the Shs25b accounted for? It is commendable that there is already a level of response from different stakeholders in the food chain.

 In times such as this when the market price of almost every commodity is going up, it is only a matter of time before farmers complain of the stressing prices of pesticides for tackling the worms. A desirable intervention, therefore, must ensure that this does not happen so that farmers effectively deal with these pests immediately to avert the looming crisis.