Head of Egyptian Farmers’ Syndicate: Fall Armyworm devastated thousands of acres

CAIRO – 6 July 2024: Hussein Abdel-Rahman Abu Saddam, head of the General Syndicate of Farmers, sad that the destructive Fall Armyworm (FAW) has devastated thousands of acres, saying “we had previously issued warnings before its entry into Egypt; now it has spread throughout the country.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, Abu Saddam stated that he had issued warnings about the threat of armyworms in April 2019, prior to its arrival in Egypt but the concerned authorities did not take sufficient steps to prevent its spread.

He clarified that the FAW destroys more than 80 types of agricultural crops in Egypt, noting that it has entered Egypt in 2019 after it entered Africa in 2016 from America.

Abdul Rahman further highlighted that the armyworm poses the greatest threat to corn crops in Egypt, with its speed reaching up to 100 km per day. The female insect lays approximately 2,000 eggs during its lifespan, which lasts about 30 days in the summer and up to 90 days in the winter.

This season, a significant number of corn farmers have reported complete devastation of their crops due to the widespread presence of this formidable insect, resulting in substantial losses.

Abu Saddam highlighted that this insect is nocturnal and moves from one stalk to another, with the larvae hiding inside the corn stalk, making it challenging to combat using conventional methods.

The most effective approach to combating these insects includes nighttime pesticide spraying, manual application of pesticides directly into the stalk to eliminate larvae, early planting, intercropping with legumes, using early-maturing crop varieties, and collecting and burning infected stalks.

Abu Saddam emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture continues to attribute the spread of the insect to increasing temperatures.

He criticized the Ministry for relying solely on media announcements about insect control campaigns and providing information on effective pesticides and guidelines, stating that these measures are insufficient to eradicate the threat posed by these harmful insects.

Currently, the armyworm is endangering crops such as corn, sugarcane, rice, cotton, tomatoes, and various other crops.

He called for the urgent implementation of a national program aimed at combating this destructive insect.