Armyworm eats way though most of SA

THE armyworm invasion has spread across all provinces in the country except the Western Cape.

The crop pest was reported by farmers in Limpopo‚ North West and the Free State last month.

Griffon Poison Information Centre director Dr Gerhard Verdoorn said the caterpillar was rapidly moving south and east of the country.

Most farmers were unaware of the invasion‚ potentially affecting the fight against the pest.

He said the armyworm had been identified in south and east KwaZulu-Natal‚ mainly on maize.

“It was confirmed that potatoes in farms in Groblersdal‚ Limpopo‚ were affected by the invasion.”

The extent of the damage to commercial maize is not yet clear‚ but a growing number of small-scale and subsistence farmers have lost their crops.

“There is progress in areas where farmers are controlling and are well aware of which pesticides to use. The use of registered pesticides is successfully controlling the fall army worm‚” he said.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is coordinating the fight against the caterpillar‚ working with the agriculture research council‚ academics from University of the North West‚ the seed industry‚ the plant science industry and Grain SA.

Department spokesman Bomikazi Molapo said the bulk of the maize crop remained unaffected.