Sunyani Oct 12, GNA - Armyworms have invaded and destroyed many hectares of maize farms in Brong Ahafo.

The affected districts are Nkoranza, Sunyani, Techiman, Wenchi, Tain, Atebubu, Kintampo, Dormaa Ahenkro, Berekum and Jaman. Dr Kofi Afakye, Nkoranza District Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) disclosed this when briefing Mr Kwadwo Kwakye, Deputy Regional Minister on the situation at Ayerede, near Nkoranza. The Deputy Minister, officials of the National Disaster and Management Organization (NADMO) and the press were on a visit to assess the damage caused by the worms and to find a lasting solution to the problem.

Dr Afakye said about 8,800 hectares of maize farms in Nkoranza district, a major producer of the crop, had been infected and with about 10 per cent of the affected farms destroyed.

He said a quick intervention by the Assembly, which released 16 million cedis to MOFA for the purchase of insecticides and allowances to spraying gangs, had helped to check the spread of the worms. The district director said the ministry's headquarters in Accra had also sent 160 litres of insecticides towards the control of the outbreak.

Dr Afakye explained that the worms re-surfaced every eight to 10 years, especially when there was delay of the rains. "The worms are very destructive and can destroy large hectares of grassland within 24 hours", he added.

The district director said farmers in the communities had been educated on the situation and had been asked to report the sight of the worms on their farms to the ministry for assistance. He called on the government to support farmers in the next farming season so they could regain losses as most of them obtained loans from the banks.

Dr Afakye said some disappointed farmers had abandoned their farms, saying they had lost hope of making it.

Mr John Manu, Techiman Municipal director of MOFA said the municipal assembly had provided 10 million cedis out of the estimated 20 million cedis targeted for the spraying of the farms.

He said some farms at Offuman and Tanoso zones in the municipality had also been affected and gave assurance that efforts were being made to ensure that the worms did not spread to other farms. Mr Kwakye thanked MOFA and the Assembly for their prompt response to bring the situation under control and urged the two bodies to redouble efforts to stem the disaster.

He called for an aerial mass spraying exercise in the affected areas to avoid further destruction, adding that, the region, regarded as the food basket of the country could not be left "to suffer such avoidable situation".

Madam Akua Yeboah, an affected farmer, expressed her disappointment at the situation, saying she took a bank loan of about 1.5 million cedis for her maize farm and expressed her appreciation to the ministry for saving her farm from total destruction.