Dear Editor
The DA has written to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, to call for a comprehensive disaster management plan on how his department will deal with the arrival of armyworms into South Africa.
Maize farmers in Limpopo, Gauteng, Free State, North West and the Western Cape have already confirmed the presence of armyworms, which derive their name from their tendency to destroy vast quantities of crops in a relatively short space of time, making it difficult to contain.
Reports from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have detailed the carnage armyworms can wreak on the production of maize crops, and South Africa needs a plan of action in order to prevent a possible food security disaster. Indeed, the armyworm ‘plague’ has already destroyed 70 % of crops in certain areas in Zimbabwe, 100 000 hectares in Zambia and 2000 hectares in Malawi.
Minister Zokwana’s silence on the issue is alarming, especially considering the far-reaching implications of a possible plague. The arrival of armyworms is a threat to our country’s food security and could lead to further increases in food prices, which will have a negative impact on the poorest and most vulnerable in our country.
If the armyworm is confirmed to be of the American variety, South Africa will also not be allowed to export maize which will then impact on this sector’s ability to sustain jobs.
The DA urges the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to start a process of open dialogue with fellow African countries that have been plagued by armyworms, in order to find a swift solution to this crises.
South Africa is already facing a drought and the DA will not sit by quietly while an impending outbreak of armyworms threatens our country’s food security.
Regards
Annette Steyn MP
DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
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