THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has called for more resources into the fight against the Army Worms in the country, as some farmers in Chibombo continued using Washing Detergent Paste to kill the worm.
ZNFU president Jervis Zimba said the country risked losing the crops to the Army Worms if the effort to wipe it out was not doubled up.
“There is need for more resources from Government because small scale farmers can’t manage to buy pesticides on their own to kill the army worms.
“There is need for communication between farmers and stakeholders so that we can work together to avoid similar occurrence of army worms,”Mr Zimba said.
There was need to invest more efforts and resources as failure to that would result into the maize being wiped out thereby affecting this year’s yield.
He said this when he led a ZNFU team during a tour of some affected farms in Chibombo district where he learnt that some farmers were still using washing paste, Boom, to kill the ravaging worms.
The team learnt that farmers in Mwambi village had resorted to the use of Boom due to lack of chemicals in the area.
Farmers said that the Cypermeturin pesticide given to them by Government was not enough to cater for over 100 farms that had been affected by the Army Worms in the district.
The village received 25 sprays and two boxes of Cypermeturin pesticide and only 225 farmers benefited from it.
Chikumbi Information Centre contact farmer Fastone Phiri said the sprays and the pesticides were not enough to cater for all the farms that had been affected hence farmers had resorted to using boom pest which was working out for them.
“Farmers have resorted to using boom paste to spray their fields because the pesticides given by Government are not enough to kill all the Army Worms,” Mr Phiri said.
Enala Kaoma, a farmer of the same area said if the Army Worms were not controlled, the district was likely to record a poor harvest this season.
She called on Government to consider sending more pesticides to the area to kill the army worms.
Mr Zimba advised farmers to continue being alert after spraying the Cypermeturin pesticide to avoid further attack were likely to attack yields at any point.
They are capable of organizing campaign buses, branded vehicles for campaigns, millions of Chitenges & T-shirts, Helicopters for campaigns but fail to mobilize adequate resources for the Army Worms. Surely, what can 2 boxes of Cypermeturin pesticide do?
This emergency has revealed PF’s true motive for wanting to be power: Self enrichment, Govt Contracts, Holidays in LAS VEGAS, flying in private jets to attend inauguration ceremonies, NOT service to the citizens of the country. Subsistence Farming is the largest employer in Zambia.
By now Govt should have hired spraying Aeroplanes from RSA to attack the worms from air. Lets Prepare our tongues & stomachs for yellow maize from USA.
Detergent soap is health friendly, and won’t cost 120 billion per week.
Farmers wash your clothes in your fields mwandini.
Boom is doing the job very well. It is killing them instantly.
Can someone explain in a sober and serious manner if they can vouch for Boom usage against army worms or stalk borers and the suggested manner of diluting and applying it so that costs are moderated without compromising on the effectiveness and without risking damage to the crop.
In Northern Nigeria, we effectively use virgins’ urine to eradicate the pest
However, ZAMBIA IS DEVOID OF VIRGINS!!!!
atase iwe don t insult Zambians like that and as for you just carry on robbing people on the internet that is what you guys are good at
This is good news to trade Kings. Atleast Boom is a local produce. PLease keep it up farmers.
We also have a different type of army worms – marriage breakers irrespective of gender and those of the night! Mind your wallet!
BOOM! And the worm is gone!
Let the boom get into the food chain and also start killing round worms in the gut?
Indeed boom is ‘double action detergent ‘.