African farmers hapless as Armyworm marches through maize crops from Mozambique to Mali

Maize is not just a crop, it's part of daily food and life in Africa. Armyworm, the pest which came to Africa through imports from the US in 2016, has become a major cause of concern for maize crops in several countries of the continent. Presently, maize crops in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are severely affected. The armyworm is now spreading in several other countries and eating maize crop which is the primary food crop in Africa.

These are not terrorist groups or rebels but pests that are marching through Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Guinea, D.R. Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger’s Maize fields. In just over three years, fall armyworm popularly known as armyworm has spread in several African countries. But some of the most adversely affected countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are already facing several problems such as terrorism, insurgencies, armed conflicts, droughts and inhuman living conditions. The attack of armyworm has caused an existential problem for the farmers in these countries.

Location of Armyworm’s army  

According to the latest report of FAW Warning System, the armyworm had attacked 34 to 40 per cent maize crops in Malawi, Guinea and D.R.Congo in last week (1-7 March). Earlier, the Mozambique, Malawi and Guinea had reported 47 to 100 per cent prevalence of armyworm. Besides, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are on high risk as FOA has mentioned them in its Warning Bulletins. As maize is the main food crop in these countries, the crisis of food insecurity is looming large.

Multiple problems for farmers in violence-hit regions  

The farmers in the African countries hit by inter-community violence and army rebellions are also facing a double whammy of locust and armyworm. The rebel areas in Mali (Gao and Mopti in), Burkina Faso (Centre-North, East, North, Sahel and Boucle du Mouhoun) and the Niger (Diffa, Tahoua and Tillaberi) are already facing food security and livelihood crisis. As of December 2019, the violence had led to a sharp increase in the number of displaced people, reaching around 945, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and over 270, 000 refugees.

Some of the armyworm hit countries are also facing attack by locust swarms. These locus swarms are destroying crops on a large scale. The farmers, who are already facing a shortage of resources, are being attacked from two fronts – air (locust swarms) and ground (armyworm). 

Maize harvest season (October–December) in Africa often comes as a hope for the farmers, common people, IDPs, and refugees but the large scale destruction of maize crops have worried all and sundry. The latest Cadre Harmonies Analysis (November 2019) points to a worsening situation. 

Status of Food Insecurity in countries affected by Armyworm

According to an estimate, about 1.2 million people in Burkina Faso, 1.4 million in Niger and 648,000 in Mali are vulnerable to food insecurity. The status of food insecurity is above the five-year average in Niger.

The estimates suggest a drop in agriculture production in several areas. Mopti, for instance, is likely to face 49 per cent decrease in production while Burkina Faso, agricultural activities for the 2019-20 crop season have dropped by 20 to 70 per cent in affected areas. There has been a 50-per cent drop in land cultivation compared to the previous season. In the Niger, vegetation deficits are recorded particularly in Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabéri and Zinder, with a national deficit reaching over 11.3 million tonnes of dry matter. The western Kayes region of Mali is also affected by pasture deficits, as well as several areas of Boucle du Mouhoun, East and Center-North regions of Burkina Faso.

The Way Ahead

 “We will need to step up the alliance among key partners from all relevant sectors at the global level. We need quick action. Innovation has a big role to play,” said Q U Dongyu, FAO Director-General. According to estimates of FAO as much as 18 million tonnes of maize are lost annually in Africa due to Armyworm, which costs about $4.6 billion and is enough to feed tens of millions of people. 

Besides the displaced people and vulnerable communities in Africa, the farmers will also be in dire need of livelihood support for almost the entire 2020. If armyworm continues to expand, the role of maize in the world's food system could be seriously affected. However, the silver lining is that the World Bank has implemented 63 armyworm related projects, mostly in Africa, establishing many good practices and accumulating much valuable knowledge along the way. The FAO and African Development Bank (AfDB) are going to organize a workshop on armyworm in April 2020 at AfDB headquarters in Abidjan.

In the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘a winner is a dreamer who never-give-up’. The fight continues to protect the interests of farmers and agriculture in Africa. There are solutions to control armyworm as well as the locust. What needed is - a coordinated and integrated effort by the affected countries. The pests must be destroyed on their place of origin and other countries should help the host country in fighting such problems.  Besides, there is a need to establish sustainable peace in the region in the greater interest of farmers and ensuring food security in the continent.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are the personal views of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)