Low crop yields feared in Eastern Province as pests invade farmlands

The Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC ) has said it is concerned with the invasion of pests in the fields in Zambia’s Eastern province.

MDC provincial chairperson Jacob Mwanza said a number of crop fields were infested by pests which include fall-army worms ravaging crops.

“We have toured several farming fields for maize and soya beans where the crops have extensively been damaged by pests,” Mwanza  said in a statement on Thursday.

He said without quick intervention from the government particularly, Ministry of Agriculture and Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, the province was likely to record the lowest crop yields in the country.

“We are further cautioned of flash floods by the Meteorological Department  in Chipata district and other parts of Eastern Province which will require early mitigation measures should the situation get out of hand for our farmers,”  Mwanza lamented.

Also read:https://www.zambiamonitor.com/smart-agriculture-practices-a-must-expert/

He said the United Party for National Development (UPND) administration  should  dispatch officers on the ground to assess the extent of the damage to crops, especially soya beans and supply adequate pesticides in a timely manner.

Mwanza  observed  that  agriculture was  the backbone of Eastern Province and the lack of quick adequate interventions  was not likely to reverse this trend.

“It is our desire to see farmers in the province thrive in the business of farming and to also recoup their investment through profits at the period of harvesting,”  he said.