MP Lucius Banda demands new thinking on armyworms in Malawi agro-based economy
United Democratic Front (UDF) Member of Parliament (MP) for Balaka North Constituency Lucius Banda has called upon the Peter Mutharika led government to find a lasting solution to the problem of Fall Army Worms which keeps on destroying thousands of hectares of maize in various fields across the country every year and weayer-induced droughts.
Banda said this after visiting some of the affected maize fields in his constituency that have been heavily affected by Army Worms.
His comments come hot on the heals of report that fall armyworms have ravaged 270 000 hectres of and drought has affected 12 percent if 1.7 miliiom hectres of maize.
“We have had this tragedy of fall army worms almost every year and it is high time we come up with a lasting solution. My appeal to the government is that it must make sure that the medicines are always available to farmers” said Banda.
He also suggested that farmers should always spray the medicine before the crops are attacked.
“All farmers after planting their crops, they should try as much as possible and at all times to apply pestcides before the crops gets attacked. This should also be a tradition the way we always do with fertilizer; we always apply fertilizer every year,” said Banda.
According to Balaka District Commissioner Rodrick Mateauma, over 19,000 hecters of maize have been hit by fall army worms in Balaka raising strong fears of hunger just like last growing season.
Meanwhile, Banda has already sent an S.O.S to the Malawi government to include in its plans the people of Balaka with relief food items.
“We are already in January and there is nothing farmers can do in their affected fields and this means they will severely been hit by hunger therefore I am appealing to the government to start preparations now on how it will serve its people” said Banda.
The combined effects of an outbreak of fall armyworms and dry spell threaten Malawi’s food production and economic growth target in the agro-based economy with the contributuion of agroculture to the gross domestic product (GDP) pegged at least 30 percent.
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After fighting Kamuzu and his MCP now you are fighting for the same MCP to come back in goverment. Keep on crying like crying babies until you die in Opposition. Onse omenya nkhondo samadyelela nawo. kkkkkkk. Mulira simunati.
Iwe Bwampwapwa ndiwe mbuli, it is tax payers money which it is going to be used so to say that Lucius should not seek help from govt coz he said they are idiots does not carry water. You are the one with mamina heads. Malawi is for all of us and we chose democracy. Stop that mind set mbuli iwe. Do people from Balaka not pay tax????? This money Lucius is requesting is not from Mlakho wa Alomwe. Matchona inu mwationjeza with your below par thinking. You were not here when we were fighting Kamuzu for multipartism.
We call them pesticides not medicines
I thought this JCE holder MP has been attacking this government by saying this is a government of idiots. Now he wants the very same idiots to help you. Shame on you. You must know that whether the government is run by fools or clever people like you,but government is government and you will need it at one point. Lero mwawafuna matchona aja kuti akuthandizeni. kkkkkkkk.