Natural disasters damage 71000 hectares in Mangochi

People in Mangochi are expected to harvest low yields this year following the dry spell and fall army worms which have hit some parts of the district.

Mangochi district agriculture development officer Owen Kumwenda said out of 89 000 hectares of maize planted, at least 71 000 hectares belonging to 200 000 households have been heavily affected.

For instance Kumwenda said the dry spell has damaged 4774 hectares of maize at Mpilipili EPA in Makanjila area belonging to 9, 150 households.

“Communities at Makanjila need special treatment as the area has no rains up to date,” revealed Kumwenda.

He said farmers were reminded to visit their fields frequently in order to report the rate at which fall army worms are destroying their crops.

According to one of the affected farmers Fatima Njanaheli from Ntasi village tradition authority Mponda in Nasenga EPA admitted the huge damage of maize by fall army worms in her field.

“Every year, I harvest 25 bags of maize but due to the disaster I expect to produce 10 or 15 bags,” Njanaheli said.

She therefore asked government to provide them pesticides of fall army worms in order to avoid further devastation of the maize.