ARUSHA, Tanzania, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania has controlled the invasion of fall armyworms by 70 percent, an official said Sunday.
William Ole Nasha, Tanzania's Deputy Minister for Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries said his office had deployed agricultural experts in regions worst hit by the destructive pests which are now threatening country's food security.
The minister emphasized that the country was on course in controlling the worms.
He disclosed: "At the moment surveillance on the destructive worms is still ongoing, nonetheless we have still managed to control them by at least seventy percent."
The fall armyworm, which is native to North and South America and has caused damage in Southern Africa, is now wrecking havoc in 12 regions in the east African nation.
According to the minister, nearly 30 percent of the country had been affected after the worms destroyed hundreds of acres of maize crops in the country's food basket, with most farmers complaining of incurring huge costs to contain them.
He revealed that the destructive pests were first detected in Nkasi district in Rukwa region before it spread to Mbeya, Shinyanga, Geita, and Coastal regions.
Unlike the African armyworm, the fall armyworm, which is dispersed by the wind, burrows inside maize stems and cobs, making it difficult to detect and can lay up to six generations of up to 50 eggs in one location leading to rapid destruction.
When maize is attacked by the destructive pests it can lead to 100 percent crop loss.
The neighboring country of Kenya is also grappling with the invasion of fall armyworms with 11,000 hectares of maize getting infected.
