ZIMBABWE Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president, Shadreck Makumbe has warned farmers to be on the lookout for armyworms during the ongoing rain season.

This comes after a number of African army worm attacks have been reported by farmers in Mashonaland East province.

The African army worm has for years been a problem to Zimbabwean farmers, and it emerges during wet seasons, attacking cereal crops mainly maize, wheat and sorghum.

In an interview with New Zimbabwe.com, Makumbe encouraged farmers to be alert and report any case to Agritex officers so as to help curb the spread of the pests.

"We encourage farmers to be alert and on the lookout for the Fall Armyworm and African armyworm.

" We advise farmers to report infestations to local Agritex officers or the Migratory Pests Department.

"Currently, the situation is not dire, although there are isolated areas under attack," he said.

According to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, the first case of African army worm was recorded on December 23, 2024, and efforts are already underway to curb the spread of the pests.

"We don't expect to be too devastated because we are already on top of it, and we are prepared as government to be able to control it.

"We have enough stock of chemicals that are required to curb the spread of the pests.

"Our Migratory Pests Department is geared, and they have been setting traps across the country, and already they are on the ground in Mashonaland East," said the Agriculture ministry's permanent secretary, Obert Jiri.

At present, the African army worm is said to have affected seven hectares of maize and four hectares of pasture in Mashonaland East province.