OUTBREAK OF AFRICAN ARMY WORM (SEBOKO SA SEGOPA)
08/01/13
The Ministry of Agriculture informs the public that there is an outbreak of the African army worm, which destroys both crops and range grasses. The worm has been detected in some parts of the country such as Mmopane, Gakatla (Kweneng South), Gweta (Central District) and Makalamabedi, Shorobe, Shashe- Maun, Matlapana, Chanoga and Gumare (Ngamiland).
The ministry is mobilising resources to control the spread of the outbreak of the worm with teams already on the ground in some areas.
Surveillance to establish the extent of the spread of the worm is ongoing and therefore we appeal to members of the public to report to their (Agricultural demonstrators) molemisi or the ministry Call centre 17755 any suspicious cases of the worm.
The last time the country experienced such outbreak of the worm was in 1991 in the Tutume subdistrict.
The African army worm can extensively damage crops and range land if left unattended as it has a habit of eating day and night. The African worm belongs to a family of moth and is not a butterfly. The army worm gets its name from its habit of marching in large numbers from grassland into crops.
The army worm is green in colour at early stage of development but later change to black with a white lining on the sides. It has a characteristic inverted V-shape on the head. The mature caterpillar is approximately five centimeters in length.
Thank you.
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