MP provides funds to buy chemicals to control army worms

Yendi, (Northern Region) 13th July 99 ?

The Member of Parliament for Yendi, Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, has provided 6.5 million cedis for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to purchase chemicals and knapsack sprayers to control army worms invasion in the area.

Alhaji Yakubu said he took the money is from the MP's common fund, when Dr Mathias Kojo Ayensu, Yendi District Director of Agriculture, disclosed that the department had run out of the chemicals used to spray the destructive worms.

Briefing the MP on the situation, Dr Ayensu said the 20 litres of chemicals supplied by the Ministry was used to spray about 50 out of the 104 hectares of farms infested by the worms.

About 20 hectares of mainly maize and guinea corn farms were destroyed by the worms, while about 30 hectares more are under threat from the pests.

He said the shortage of chemicals since last week had brought the control exercise to a halt, adding that the district needs about 60 litres of chemicals to be able to cope with the situation.

Dr Ayensu said farmers have been reporting of invasion by the worms on daily basis. Some of them use their own chemicals, while others are said to be using kerosene.

Alhaji Yakubu commended the officials of MOFA for their effort and urged them not to relent until the situation is brought under control and appealed to the farmers to co-operate with the field staff by providing water to mix with the chemicals.

GRi?/