Farmers in Igembe South sub-county, Meru County, have raised alarm over destruction of their crops by armyworms and snails.
They said the pests are destroying crops such as maize, beans, green grams and sorghum adding that the area is likely to experience food shortage in future if the situation is not contained.
Mr Julius Mwenda, a farmer from Kanuni village in Igembe South said the pests have caused a lot of damage to his one acre maize plantation as he does not have money to buy pesticides and urged the county government to intervene and give pesticides to farmers to contain the destructive worms so as to save the food crops.
Jane Kawiria, a farmer in Kiandani village also decried the infestation of snails which have damaged leaves, stalks and underground tubers of her beans crop saying the damage will result in losses if appropriate measures are not taken urgently.
”I feel pain when I see my beans destroyed by the snails. I bought them at Sh.180 per kilogram and I can’t imagine failing to harvest due to the damage.” She said.
Speaking to KNA on Thursday at his office, the Igembe South officer in charge of Agriculture department Jeremiah Mithika said that they have received complaints from several farmers in the sub-county and added that they will visit the affected farms to establish the facts.
He also urged farmers to practice traditional ways of preventing pests including early weeding to discourage infestation of pests.
By Kamanja Maeria
