Agona Swedru, June 10, GNA - The Agona District office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has brought the armyworm invasion of parts of the Agona District of the Central Region, under control. Mr Samuel Ankomah, the Agona District Development Officer in charge of Extension Services disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Swedru. He said the District Office had distributed more than 100 litters of pyrinex and Dursban chemicals and mist blowers worth 10 million cedis to the affected communities, adding that, the invasion had gone down due to the massive spraying exercise coupled with the heavy rainfall. He identified the affected communities as Agona Safe, Kwansakrom, Swedru Secondary School (SWESCO) and Nyame Ndam.

Mr Ankomah stated that a taskforce had been formed in the affected communities to curb the spread of the worms. He stated that 500 farms were attacked and said the taskforce took two weeks to complete the exercise. Mr Ankomah told the GNA that the taskforce had been asked to monitor the situation and to report to the District Office at Agona Swedru for immediate action. He said opinion leaders and traditional rulers had been tasked to remind farmers about the problem and gave the assurance that Extension Officers were on the look out to fight the invasion.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has been contacted to assist farmers whose farms were invaded. The farmers have appealed to the government for assistance to replant their maize fields to enable them to meet their financial obligation to the banks.