Maize farmers want more help to fight army worms

Maize farmers in the Sunyani Municipality have appealed for increased government support to stop the destruction of their farms by fall army worms.

They said their farms were being threatened by the pests and expressed the fear of losing their investments.

Many of them had taken loans from the banks and they would find it difficult paying back.

They made the plea during a meeting with the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mrs. Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson at Yawsan.

Farmers from nine predominantly maize growing communities in the area attended.

They claimed that the pests’ invasion substantially reduced their crop production levels, last year, and complained that the inadequate supply of chemicals to deal with the attack did not help matters.

Mrs. Kumi-Richardson assured them that the assembly would work together with the municipal directorate of the food and agriculture ministry (MoFA) to save the situation.

They would do everything to prevent the pests from ruining farms and making life miserable for farmers.

She added that the destruction of food crop farms posed a threat to national food security and was something that could not be allowed to continue.

Mr. Francis Dwomoh, an agriculture extension agent, advised people, whose farms had come under attack by the worms to report to the municipal office of the MoFA for the supply of chemicals.

This, he said, was important to contain the worms and prevent their spread to other farms.

Some farmers have been spraying their farms with washing powder solution and this is done early in the morning.

Mr. Dwomoh confirmed that this was proving to be effective in wiping out the pests.