The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has encouraged local communities to actively inspect their fields for signs of infestation by using traditional methods of pest control.

This is after the Zambezi Region experienced an armyworm outbreak, destroying their maize fields.

Communities can physically inspect by hand their plants individually for signs of infestation and use traditional methods of pest control, such as applying ash, soil clearance and handpicking.

The physical inspection is essential to complement the more formal pest control strategies, such as pesticide application.

This will ensure that infestations are detected early and addressed promptly before they can cause significant crop damage.

Additionally, to address armyworm infestations, the Ministry has provided training to farmers on the safe and effective use of pesticides.

The training covered essential aspects such as mixing pesticides, appropriate application times, first aid treatment proper disposal of pesticide containers and safe storage of pesticides. 

At the end of the training, households were supplied with pesticides for their fields.

The ministry further says there is a need to develop and promote more sustainable agricultural practices that reduce the likelihood of pest outbreaks.

These include crop diversification, soil health improvement and the promotion of biological pest control methods alongside chemical ones.