An outbreak of large grain borer in Mbale district has left hundreds of farmers with post harvest loses.
The destructive pest is causing havoc to farmers in Bumbombi and Bungokho Sub-counties.
Julius Peter Ayo, the Mbale District Agricultural Officer says the pests have already destroyed hundreds of tons of maize grain from Bumageni parish, the epicenter of the outbreak. Ayo says the pest was first discovered in the area in July by a team of experts who had paid a visit to a model farmer in the parish.
He says the experts from National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) in Kawanda were shocked to discover that the pest that the farmers had reported was the large grain borer, which the ministry of agriculture has ‘earmarked’ as a highly destructive pest.
Ayo notes that the pest could have originated from the maize that is imported from across the border in Kenya. He says the area where the pest was reported is where local grain importers dry their maize from.
He appeals to farmers to control the pest by using Italec super chemical spray.
David Wanakira, the Mbale district NAADS Coordinator says the pest if not controlled can cause 100% loss to farmers. He says the pest destroys the maize and cassava and in extreme cases also attacks household furniture and timber.
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Margaret Wakholi, a farmer from Sinaphulu village says that the pest usually attacks the crops after two weeks of storage. She explains that for the case of maize it totally destroys the grain and by the time you pick it from the store you can no longer consume it.
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