Invasion of the African Armyworm in the North Eastern part of the country is causing panic among farmers, with the Federal Government saying it needs N2.98 billion to check the pest nationwide.
The African Armyworm (Spodoptera exempta) also called nutgrass armyworm, is an African moth, capable of destroying entire crops in a matter of weeks.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation had raised alarm following the outbreak of the pest in several West African nations.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had in February confirmed the invasion of the pest in 22 states of the country.
Speaking on the invasion back in February, the Assistant Director and Desk Officer, Maize Value Chain at the ministry, Adeleke Muftau, had informed journalists that the pest, usually found in maize, posed a threat to national food security and availability of maize in Nigeria.
Mr. Adeleke said the worm was destroying maize across the six geo-political zones and posed serious threat to other food crops.
On Tuesday, farmers confirmed the presence of the pest in the North-east, a region still recovering from the Boko Haram insurgency.
Rice and maize farmers in Adamawa and Taraba states warned that by attacking maize farms, the pest also posed a threat to the poultry industry as maize shortage would push up the price of poultry feeds in the country.
Hamman Adama Ahidjo who farms five hectares of maize and rice, said he has been waging a battle to keep the worm at bay.
“We have recorded the ravaging Armyworm in our farms, though the two days rain recorded has helped in curbing its spread. But if we don’t deal with it, maize production may become almost impossible here,’’ he said.
Abdur Razaq Sarkin Ruwa, who was spraying his four weeks old maize farm at Nyokkore on Monday, lamented that his farms had been completely infested by the worm. He feared that he could lose “everything”, in spite of the chemical he applied.
“It is already affecting the maize and rice. The worms are eating right inside the stems and the leaves of the young plant which is just a month old. I need to spray chemicals at least three times before harvest, if at all I am lucky to succeed.”
Another maize farmer in Taraba State, Sa’adu Wangra, said he noticed the worm on his farm a few days after his maize started to germinate, so he had to spray the one and a half hectare farm two weeks after planting.
He said the worm destroyed his crop last year, thus he was prepared to spray to avert a recurrence.
Mr. Wangra said he would repeat the spraying after 10 days and then a month later, before the crop would be due for harvest.
