Farmers in Birniwa Local Government Area of Jigawa State have raised the alarm over a hairy armyworm infestation that has invaded farmlands and destroyed crops in the area.
A resident of Birniwa told DAILY POST that the infestation had caused significant damage to farmlands.
According to him, “The development has raised concerns among farming households that the loss of crops could worsen their financial difficulties and expose them to food shortages if urgent intervention is not provided”
“Among the crops destroyed by the armyworm are sorghum, millet, groundnuts, hibiscus and beans, which are major food and cash crops cultivated by farmers in the area”
Confirming the extent of the damage, the Managing Director of the Jigawa Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (JARDA), Wasulu Muhammad, said more than 790 hectares of farmland had been affected, involving about 520 farmers.
Muhammad said JARDA had deployed a technical team to assess the damage and monitor the situation, while providing farmers with extension advice on pest control.
He said the state government had already taken measures to prevent the outbreak from escalating and spreading to other communities.
He said JARDA had identified Gajarma, Dalari, Bursili, Kulawa, Kupsa, Kirya and Korewa among the areas recording significant damage.
The authority is calling for urgent intervention through the provinsion of agrochemicals and spraying equipment to control the pest and protect farms that are yet to be affected.
He said the state government was committed to providing seeds and other farm inputs to enable farmers whose crops were destroyed to recover and re-cultivate their farms.
He also advised farmers to sustain surveillance and extension support to help them identify and control the pest early before it causes further damage.