As army worms spread across Zota, Salala, and Jorquelleh Districts in Bong County, a group under the banner, the Bong Professionals Network (BON-PRO) is calling on the Government of Liberia to quickly intervene to remedy the current outbreak that is being experienced in three of the seven electoral Districts.
The Bong Professionals Network is a non-governmental professional organization organized by sons and daughters of the county with the same ideology of moving their county forward through programs and activities that will help in contributing meaningfully to the developmental agenda of Bong County.
Speaking at a press conference in Gbarnga, Bong County on June 5, 2023, the Executive Director of BON-PRO, Kweshie Tetteh, said farmers in Zota District 4, Jorquelleh Electoral District 3 and Salala District 6 in Bong County are facing serious challenges in cultivating their farmland, as a result of the rampant spread of army worms, which is damaging crops and safe drinking water in the area.
He said army worms are caterpillars are found across the landscape in large groups feasting on young maize plants thereby wiping out the entire fields.
The BON-PRO Executive Director revealed that army worms are affecting towns like Gbarnay Town in electoral District 3, Pelalay Town, Shankpallai Town in Zota District 4, and other surrounding towns and villages which have been seriously affected by the crops-killing worms.
“Pepper, corn, cabbage among others are crops mostly being eaten by the strange worms. And this distress for farmers comes at a time when our people are planning their new upland farms this month (June),” he added.
The BON-PRO believes that the situation could exacerbate if nothing is done to remedy the situation and it is making life miserable for the farmers in the county and therefore draws government’s attention through the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, National Disaster Management Agency and the EPA.
“We joined our farmers to appeal to President George Manneh Weah and its international partners to provide pesticides and other resources that our farmers can use to combat the worms’ plague that is threatening the districts food security,” Mr. Tetteh noted.
Meanwhile, when contacted the agriculture Coordinator for Bong County, Kollie Nah disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture has dispatched a team of technicians and scientists to ascertain the facts about the outbreak.
He said the outbreak poses a significant threat to smallholder farmers, and it has become a threat to food security in the County.
The Bong County Agriculture Coordinator is at the same time calling on farmers and Bongese not to panic, on grounds that the Ministry’s technicians and scientists are doing everything possible to put the situation under control regarding which spray should be use on the crops killing worms.
He further said the Ministry of Agriculture and its partners are prepare for the army worms’ outbreak in the County.
However, this is not the first of its kind for army worm attacked Bong County, it can be recalled that in 2009, there was army worm in the county.
