Fall armyworms are a new disaster that are munching their way through thousands of hectares of primarily maize farms in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, at a time when farmers are already grappling with long-term climate change-induced drought and farmers in Zimbabwe have also been hit by an outbreak of black fungus that is killing baobab trees. The armyworm has spread to more than half the country's farms, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Fall armyworms are a new disaster that are munching their way through thousands of hectares of primarily maize farms in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, at a time when farmers are already grappling with long-term climate change-induced drought and farmers in Zimbabwe have also been hit by an outbreak of black fungus that is killing baobab trees. David Phiri of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) warns that southern Africa should be alarmed at this outbreak as this alien armyworm's spread capacity is very high and, if not controlled, could have devastating effects on food security.