The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation on Tuesday called for urgent action against a pest devastating maize fields in Africa, saying it risked spreading to a growing number of countries.
The presence of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has so far been reported or confirmed in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and parts of West Africa.
“If the situation remains like this, food insecurity will worsen,” David Phiri, FAO coordinator for southern Africa, said at an emergency meeting in the Zimbabwean capital Harare.
Originating in the Americas, the fall armyworm eats its way through crops, especially maize, which is the staple food in many African countries.
Phiri said that the pest has destroyed 130,000 hectares of crops in Zambia alone.
“However, I have to say we cannot eradicate it. In the Americas, it has been there since 1957 and they have not managed to control it, because it keeps evolving.
“So we cannot expect that it can be eradicated. But we have to find a plan for managing it from now onwards,” he said.
The fall armyworm, which is thought to have travelled to Africa on commercial flights, was first reported on the continent in Sao Tome and Principe in January 2016.
After the caterpillar turns into a moth, it develops strong flight ability, allowing it to spread over long distances.
Scientists have warned that it could spread to Asia and the Mediterranean within a few years, becoming a threat to agricultural trade worldwide.
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