Tackle armyworms to avert food shortage

Fall armyworm. [File, Standard]

The agriculture sector is grappling with serious challenges that need to be addressed urgently. It is worrying that the fall armyworm menace is back, and what is worse, at a time when the country is just emerging from a prolonged dry spell.

Already, farmers, especially those in bread basket areas of Rift Valley and Western Kenya, are facing numerous problems, including high cost of inputs. Combined with dry weather, the fall armyworms have added to their woes, posing a serious threat to the country's food security. This is an unenviable position for a country to be in during an election year.

Some of the seeds they had planted were lost to the bad weather, while the maize that had started to grow is being destroyed by the worms, meaning that farmers will find it difficult to replant because seeds and fertiliser are too expensive.

In addition to this, they will need to buy pesticides to deal with the new menace, leaving them with no respite considering that they also need to send their children to school this week. As such, it will be important for the government to intervene and either provide subsidised seed and pesticides or take up the responsibility of fighting the fall armyworms altogether.

Such a move would have an impact because in the past, there was a problem of improper use of pesticides. Farmers, in their quest to cut costs, under-used the pesticides, thus inadvertently reducing their efficacy. Hence the need for the government to train those who will be involved in spraying farms. Given the scale of the problem, there is also need to invest in equipment that can scale up the operations, including aircraft. Only the government has the capacity to make such investments.

Considering that there are about 12 counties that are already food stressed, it is imperative that urgent action is taken now to prevent the situation from spreading to other counties. That is why fighting the fall armyworm menace ought to be prioritised.