Fall armyworm threatens 2023 maize harvest in Zimbabwe

Published 2023년 3월 1일

Tridge summary

A recent assessment report has revealed that Zimbabwe is facing a significant threat to its 2023 maize harvest due to a fall armyworm infestation, along with other diseases. This pest, which is currently affecting all provinces, has the potential to severely reduce maize yields and income for smallholder farmers, as seen in other African countries. The pest could lead to losses of up to 17.7 million tonnes of maize, which translates to a potential revenue loss of nearly US$5 billion annually across 12 sub-Saharan African countries, if no control measures are implemented. The report underscores the urgent need for increased monitoring, surveillance, and community involvement to combat this pest, which has the potential to greatly impact food security and poverty levels in Zimbabwe.

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Original content

Source: Fall armyworm threatens 2023 maize harvest -Newsday Zimbabwe A FALL ARMYWORM plague and other related diseases that have spread to all the country’s provinces are posing a serious threat to the country’s major staple food crop, maize, preliminary findings of a crops, livestock and fisheries assessment report have shown. The invasive crop pest, which manifests during dry conditions following incessant rains, is well known for its devastating effects on maize yields across Africa, but few studies have been done on its broader impact on poverty levels and food security. The pest, the report said, had affected all the country’s 10 provinces, some of which have also recorded incidences of armoured cricket in, for instance, Masvingo province’s Lowveld. According to the report, the prevalence of diseases such as corn smut, maize streak virus and grey leaf spot were not so pronounced, but were reported in some maize and sorghum crops, while there were also incidences of ...

Source: Zimbabwesituation