Army worm destroys rice farms in Ketu-North District

About 5,200 acres of rice farms in the Ketu-North District have been invaded by army worms causing massive destruction to the crops for the past five days.

The farms include 1,200 acre Afife Irrigation Project Farm and another 3,000 acres of rain fed private farms located in the Kpli Valley at Klenomadi.

A total of 2,524 farmers risk losing their entire investment and livelihood and are currently agitated.

A team from the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, and the Regional office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) who toured the farms on Wednesday expressed worry about  the situation.

Mr Henry Ford Kamel, Regional Minister, asked for immediate purchase of insecticides and other equipment for the spraying of the farms.

He told the farmers to collaborate with the government to save the situation which had dire consequences for the country’s food security.

Mr Kamel also asked the Scheme Managers of the Irrigation Development Authority to mobilise the farmers into a task force to help in the spraying, which is expected to begin on Thursday May 10, this year.

Mr John Tsrakasu,  Regional MOFA Director, said the 150 farmers had already been mobilised for the spraying taskforce.

He said 70 per cent of the 1,024 acre farm land within the Afife Irrigation Project area had already been destroyed.

Mr Victor Atsakpo, Regional Plant Protection Officer said the area was endemic with the worms,  since the eggs stays in the soil and hatch during the drought.

He said the green looking worms come out in the night to devastate farms and go into hiding during the day.

Mr Kofi Akumani, a farmer told the Ghana News Agency  that he had lost three  acres of farms and therefore called for prompt action from government to save the situation.

Source: GNA