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USAID Provides Assistance to Combat Armyworm Infestation in Tanzania
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2006
0224-06-019
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov
WASHINGTON, DC - Due to the effects of armyworm infestation in Tanzania, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it is providing $50,000 through USAID/Tanzania for the purchase and distribution of equipment, including and limited to protective clothing, sprayers, and rental vehicles. A large-scale outbreak of armyworm is threatening tens of thousands of hectares of food and other crops. USAID is responding to the Government of Tanzania's appeal for international assistance.
The Government of Tanzania has been active in pest control efforts, but as of February 20th, less than 10 percent of suspected infested fields (not including rangelands) have been treated with pesticides. With the likelihood that moths and larvae will continue to move northward in the coming weeks, recently planted crops are at particular risk.
The outbreak is threatening crops in more than 15 districts in Iringa, Dodoma, Singida, Manyara, Morogoro, and Lindi regions of central and southern Tanzania. The African armyworm, a serious pest in sub-Saharan Africa, damages cereal crops, sugarcane, pastures, and rangeland. The 2005/2006 migratory armyworm season began in southern Africa following the onset of rains in December 2005. Prolonged dry spells, combined with isolated rainstorms in affected areas of Tanzania, have created favorable conditions for mass breeding by armyworm moths. According to the Government of Tanzania, the first infestations in the country were reported in early January 2006. Although endemic to Tanzania, this year's armyworm outbreak has the potential to cause extensive damage, with reports of more than 63,000 hectares of cereal crops already destroyed, exacerbating food insecurity caused by current drought conditions.
USAID will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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