Thu, 29 Dec 2016 13:05:48 +0000
BY KALOBWE BWALYA & OSCAR MALIPENGA
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has directed the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) under the office of the Vice-President to join the Ministry of Agriculture in an emergency operation to curb the spread of army worms that have invaded some districts on the Copperbelt, Luapula and Central Provinces.
President Lungu has also directed that the chemicals that were purchased under emergency operations should be distributed to all parts of the country although the outbreak of army worms has been reported on the Copperbelt, Luapula and Central Provinces only.
Acting on President Lungu’s directive Agriculture permanent secretary Julius Shawa and DMMU national coordinator Patrick Kangwa announced that 5, 000 litres of chemicals had been procured as of yesterday to control the outbreak of the Africa worms from Farmers Barn limited at a total cost of K3.5 million.
Speaking during the distribution of chemicals at City Airport yesterday following a directive, Mr Shawa said the outbreak of Africa army worms had spread to some districts in four more provinces namely; Eastern, Western, Muchinga and Luapula provinces.
Mr Shawa named the chemicals procured as 3, 000 litres of Cypermethrine, 1, 000 litres of Karate, 500 litres of Malathion and 500 litres of Chloropyrifos which would be distributed in all the ten provinces in readiness to control even those provinces which were not affected.
And the Head of State said the DMMU and Ministry of Agriculture would be doing random checks across the country today (Thursday) to ensure that the emergency operation of spraying was going on as directed.
President Lungu expressed worry that if the outbreak of the worms was not controlled speedily, the crop yield for 2016/2017 might be negatively affected.
The Head of State also assured farmers that all provinces would receive the chemicals today.
All District Agriculture Coordinators (DACOs) are expected to closely monitor the operations against army worms and provide regular reports on the situation.
The operation involves among other government agencies, the Ministry of Agriculture, DMMU and ZAF.
ZAF has since began airlifting chemicals to Ndola on the Copperbelt, Chinsali in Muchinga Province, Kasama in Northern Province and Chipata in Eastern province.
And DACOs for Lusaka, Luapula and North Western Provinces have already collected the chemicals.
