ANALYSIS: Maize worm worries

Hiked prices of pesticides

But the cost of pesticides is likely to be higher this season. Last season when the fall army armyworm outbreak was reported, Minister Ssempijja recommended three companies; Nsanja, Bukoola Chemical Industries, and Uganda Crop Care Ltd to import the pesticides. Among the drugs recommended were Striker, Dudufenos and Rocket.

But whereas Rocket was selling for Shs24,000 a litre last season, Nsanja Agro Chemicals this season sells it at Shs28,000 in its outlets. But at some points Rocket is being sold at Shs35,000 a litre.

Striker, which is one of the most potent pesticides for battling the worm, was by mid-September out of stock in most agro vet shops. Only the recommended importers, Bukoola Chemical Industries, had it.

Whereas Bukoola was selling a litre at Shs32,000 last season its now at Shs37,000 a litre with small discounts for bulk buyers.

Bukoola also sells Dudufenos at Shs35,000 per litre and Nimbecidine which on their website they refer to as a ‘robust botanical insecticide that delivers multiple modes of action against the worm”, goes for Shs26,000 a litre.

Ddumba, says from his experience last season, one litre after mixing at a lukewarm dosage of about 20mls per 20 litres of water sprays one and a half acres. This means for someone who has three acres of maize they would need two litres of Striker meaning Shs74,000 per run. With a more infestation of the armyworm where one would need 30 to 50 mls per 20 litres of water of course it would require more pesticide.

At the height of the outbreak fall armyworm attack between February to May, when there was a heavy infestation of the worm, farmers were being advised to spray two times a day (both morning and evening). This would mean for the two days a farmer with three acres of maize would spend Shs148,000 on the pesticides alone without the labour and other inputs like the pump and water.

There are several other brands of chemicals that Ddumba could opt for. Some of them are cheaper. And a few are said to offer some protection. But they are a big gamble because the market is also flooded with fakes.

In May last year at the height of the initial fall armyworm attack there were reports of fake Striker and Rocket drugs being sold; especially in the Container Village, the hub of the country’s agro vet shops in Kampala city.

When asked whether the ministry had opened up the importation of drugs to fight the army worm in the new season, Ssempijja said they have not added to the original three and other agro vet dealers have to buy from the three they recommended last season.

Still, apart from the drugs recommended by Agriculture ministry, there are other companies advertising other pesticides they say fight the fall armyworm. With Striker, one of the recommended pesticides to control the worm being in short supply, it will not be long before the fraudsters are back with the fake products.

Some smaller scale farmers are opting for exotic interventions. One woman, Agnes Nakintu, a resident of Katadde village in Wakiso District says she has successfully used a mixture of wood ash and pepper to kill the fall armyworm. Nakintu also says she has noted that her local chicken as well as weaverbirds hunt for the worms in the maize.

In Luweero, the District Production Manager, Andrew Kidda Makubuya, says some farmers have resorted to using of paraffin to fight off the warms and other caterpillars which have invaded the counties of Kikyusa, Butuntumula, Zirobwe, Kamira and Katikamu.

The Luweero district entomologist, Henry Lule, explained that the increased number of caterpillars in the district is partly due to the sudden change and imbalance in the ecosystem which has seen the migration of birds from these areas due to human activities and change in weather patterns.

“We have noted the disappearance of birds in many parts of Luweero yet these birds feed on caterpillars. The birds disappeared because the trees on which they use to perch were cut down,” Lule was quoted in a news report in August.

However, exotic methods might not work for big farmers who have more than an acre of maize. Besides the birds after eating the armyworms may turn on the maize which means it cannot be a viable alternative.