The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has confirmed the invasion of worms that are similar to army-gworms and are called Achaea in three counties namely Bong, Nimba and Gbarpolu County.
Achaea are worms which are fast-moving and dangerous to the growth of cocoa, bananas and other food crops.
Agriculture, through its field offices in the affected counties said the are reports of caterpillars’ invasion in towns and villages affecting food crops and contaminating waterways.
Already 12 of Liberia’s 15 counties have experienced such worms’ invasion – a natural and periodic occurrence in Liberia since 2009.
Last weekend, the MOA immediately dispatched technicians to assess the invasion’s coverage, determine types of caterpillars and evaluate damages done and the preliminary findings from the MOA’s technicians recommend immediate intervention of those hit areas.
As this emergency was unforeseen, the Ministry said it is vigorously involved in resource mobilization to source and procure appropriate types of environmentally friendly agrochemicals to curb the worms’ widespread.
With the start of the farming season, ministry remains focus on working collaboratively with local communities, farming households, governmental agencies and collaborating partners to ensure the invasion is contained.
Agriculture Ministry Extension Officer in Bong County, Kollie K. Nah, speaking on the Super Morning Show on ELBC Wednesday, May 7, 2023 confirmed that the worms are posing serious threats to crops and water sources in the above mentioned three counties.
Recently, it was reported that farmers in Zota and Jorquelleh Districts in Bong County are struggling to cope with an invasion of army worms that destroyed crops and contaminated drinking water sources.
The caterpillars, which march in large groups and feed on young plants, have wiped out entire fields.
Maize, eggplants, pepper, cocoa, and cabbage are crops that are being heavily destroyed by worms.
The situation has halted agricultural activities across several towns and villages, leaving farmers helpless and unable to begin the new planting season for upland farms.
“It is so disheartening to watch as they watch helplessly and are unable to do anything,” the farmers said distressingly.
“Farms and villages are being overrun by the army worms, and if nothing is done about it, we are going to encounter severe hardship as our farming season would be interrupted.
“Unless the spread of these worms is contained, food insecurity and malnutrition are likely to result, as affected towns and communities will not be able to carry out farming activities this year,” they added.
Army worms are no strangers to Bong, mainly in Zota District. The last attack was in 2020, when army worms struck and destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of crops in the district, leading to farmers spending huge amounts of money to fight them.
Charles King, a scientist at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), said in an interview at the time that planting the short-term crops gave the army worms a longer lifespan as they found a host.
“Farmers should not have planted maize again after struggling with the pests for the better part of the year. The new maize crop became the host of the pests until this planting season,” King said.
It can be recalled that during the last government of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, there was a major army worms’ invasion in Bong County but was later eradicated following the Agriculture Ministry at the time intervention.
