Ondjiva — A total of 30,150 family agricultural fields in the municipalities of Ombadja, Cahama and Curoca, in the southern Cunene Province, were affected by the armyworm and Acanthoplus Discoidalis pests, during the 2023/2024 agricultural campaign.
The data was provided to ANGOP last Friday by the Provincial Farming and Fisheries Office, on the occasion of International Day of Plant Health, being marked this Sunday, May 12th.
According to the province's phytosanitary report, about22,800 crops were attacked during the agricultural year in the communes of Mocupe and Humbe (Ombadja) with losses estimated at 20 to 30% of the crops.
In the municipality of Curoca, 7,200 crops were registered, while Cahama had 150 agricultural fields devastated by the military caterpillar, causing losses of around 40% in the crops sown in the months of November and December, and 90% in the January to February crop.
The source highlights that the military caterpillar is the one that caused the most damage to millet and sorghum and corn crops throughout the province, with the highest incidence in the municipalities of Curoca and Cahama.
Despite the lack of resources, equipment and insecticides, 962 agricultural fields were sprayed (disinfection), says the source, highlighting that the massive attack by these pests was due to the prolonged period of drought registered between the months of January and March.
In addition to family agricultural fields, the sector has been struggling, over the last 4 years, with the whitefly plague, estimating that 5,268 fruit trees such as mango, citrus, guava, mulberry and papaya trees are affected, in the cities of Ondjiva and Xangongo.
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The pest of tuta absolute, which is more prevalent in the green belts, has caused low yields in tomato crops and poor product quality across the six municipalities.
Paulo César, technician from the Department of Plant Epidemiological Surveillance of the Agriculture Office, considered the province of Cunene to be endemic to pests, a fact that requires redoubling efforts in applying preventive standards to avoid contamination.
According to the agricultural engineer, the issue of plant health can be approached from several aspects, the first and most obvious being the protection of plant heritage, which is closely linked to food security.
The introduction of exotic pests can cause a serious environmental imbalance, altering the functioning of ecosystems and, consequently, affecting the food supply and the economy, he said.
This time, he called for greater care in the acquisition of plants as well as in the import of agricultural seeds that must receive lab certification in order to detect whether they are in sanitary conditions, since they can pose a risk to the health of plants with high damage to the productivity.
The date was established, in 2020, by the United Nations General Assembly, in order to draw attention to the importance of plant health for life on earth.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) highlights plant health as one of the most important topics today, aiming to increase awareness and fulfill the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
