In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, maize farmers are struggling.
A field belonging to the Munguiko community has been ruined by armyworm and the damage is vast.
The worms attack the leaves and stems of maize plants which prevents them from growing or reach the flowering stage.
“It is army worms that attack our fields. They appear any time; in the dry season or the rainy season,” said a farmer whose field has been destroyed.
The Army worms are of interest to agronomist Jadot Mateso, who has set up a small nursery where maize seedlings are well preserved before taken to the fields.
Madot has urged farmers to plant varieties resistant to armyworm. In recent years, the pest has devastated maize fields in Uganda, Zambia, Kenya among other countries.
“The caterpillar” is called spodoptera frugiperda. It is native to North America and causes a lot of damage in the fields. Production can reduce by upwards of 60%,” said Madot.
The effects of the armyworm’s presence are visible in the markets of Goma. The price of maize has increased significantly since the production has decreased following the armyworm’s outbreak.
Georgette Nyabadé, a trader, says that a bag of maize that used to cost 30 or 35 US dollars is now being sold for 75 or 80 US dollars.
Armyworms are a serious crop pest in tropical and subtropical regions. These hungry caterpillars can wreck an entire field of crops before moving on in their search for more food, with devastating economic consequences.
Maize is a major staple in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The armyworm invasion has caused fears of a food crisis in a region already hit by the conflict.
