Pests threaten food security

At least 30 districts in Central and Eastern provinces have reported cases of armyworm and bollworm infestation, raising concerns over damage to crops after a prolonged drought.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the development could threaten the country’s food security, which has already shown signs of deteriorating.

“The infestation may be attributable to climatic change. The rains have led to a quick multiplication of the pests,” said the deputy director of agriculture in the plant protection services division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Joseph Ngetich.

He said intermittent periods of rainfall provide good conditions for the hatching of the pests’ eggs.

This has been the case since October when heavy rains that fell after the drought concentrated egg-laying moths and provided grass and cereals for newly hatched caterpillars.

Dry sunny periods, as experienced in November, during the caterpillars’ development, promoted their survival and rapid development.

The reports of the threat to food security come as top government officials meet on Tuesday to decide the fate of duty free maize imports, in a move expected to determine the pricing of maize flour in the coming months.

Already, millers have warned that consumers should be ready to pay more for maizemeal if the duty-free window is closed.

An acute shortage of the staple last year pushed Kenya on the brink of food riots, forcing the government to launch a maize flour subsidy, but this did not last long.

The first armyworm outbreak was reported in Tana Delta District in Coast Province in November, “but it was repressed and did not cause major infestations”, said Mr Ngetich.

Overall the armyworms have affected about 2,474 hectares of pasture and 386 hectares of maize, he said, adding that by December, most of the maize was beyond knee-high, beyond the vulnerable stage.

The agriculture official said the armyworm outbreak was under control although there are still pockets of infestation in areas such as Kajiado.

Difficult

“Bollworms are usually a minor pest but this year they have become a major pest. People are not prepared for them,” said Mr Ngetich, adding that control efforts and damage assessment were ongoing.

Unlike the armyworms, the bollworms feed on 35 food crops and about 25 wild crops, making their control difficult.

“Bollworms also feed at many stages of crop development. They attack maize at various stages; they cut the silk in maize, in some instances preventing grain setting... Once they are inside the ear of the maize, if you spray you could end up poisoning the food.”

Challenges in combating the pests include inadequate equipment and personnel.