By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Adaklu Kodzobi (V/R), April 23, GNA – Fall Armyworms are at their devastating best destroying large tracts of corn farms in the Adaklu Kodzobi Electoral Area of the Adaklu district.
When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited some of the farms, it saw them destroyed by the worms.
According to the farmers, the destruction caused by the worms to their farms was the worst since it was an emergency in about ten years.
They contended that the erratic rainfall pattern was also not helping matters.
Mr. Samuel Akpah, a 66-year-old corn farmer who spoke to the GNA said his five acres corn farm was completely destroyed by the worms.
He continued that all the recommended chemicals he used to control the worms did not have any effect on them.
Mr. Akpah lamented that the GHC6,000 he invested in the farm had gone down the drain.
Mr. Williams Agbati, another farmer, also told the GNA that he went into corn farming about ten years ago.
He said he started planting corn this year in the last week of February when the rain started, hoping for a bumper harvest in June.
Mr. Agbati said he noticed the emergence of the worms on the farm in the middle of March and all efforts to control them proved futile saying “the worms were unstoppable and completely destroyed my farm.”
He called on the Adaklu District Directorate of Agriculture to come to their aid.
The farmers contended that if care were not taken there would be famine in the area.
They alleged that they had not seen any Agricultural Extension Officer in the area for a very long time now.
Madam Eugenia Bruce. Adaklu District Director of Agriculture said the Extension Officer for the area had traveled and they had not yet found any replacement for him due to shortage of staff.
She advised the farmers to spray their farms with Fall Armyworms control chemicals after two weeks of planting and use a different brand (chemical) after two weeks.
Madam Bruce said they had Fall Armyworms control chemicals that they gave out free to farmers.
She asked the farmers to visit the Directorate or call them on 0249809864 if they faced any challenge for advice.
GNA
MA/KOA