A devastating outbreak of armyworm has struck Abolove-Nolopi community, in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region.
It has destroyed over 50 acres of farm crops, leaving farmers reeling with many losing their entire harvests.
The armyworms, known for their voracious appetites, have been feeding on crops such as maize, okro, tomato, pepper and others which were almost nearing maturity, have been completely destroyed.
Mr. Godwin Emmanuel Gbekle, one of the disturbed farmers in the area, told the Ghana News Agency, in an interview that the impact of the armyworm devastation were significant and needed immediate solution.
“Many of us farmers here in Bolove-Nolopi primarily rely on crops to make a living and feed our families. As the crops are being destroyed now, we are left without a any source of income or food for our families,” he said.
He explained that the armyworm infestation had also had a significant impact on the local food supply while the acres of crops destroyed could lead to shortage of fresh produce in the area and may likely drive up prices and make it difficult for residents to access healthy food.
He said many farmers in the area were appealing for help from various government agencies and other stakeholders to provide the necessary assistance including pesticides and supports on how to control the devastating situation from escalating to others areas in the Municipality as well as restore their crops.
” We are highly devastated by the destruction by the armyworms, we have been tending to our crops for months, and to see them destroyed in a matter of days is heartbreaking.”
Mr. Gbekle said it was urgent for stakeholders, philanthropists, corporate organisations and the government to immediately take action to address the situation to give back hope to all farmers and enable them to recover from the devastating effects of the infestation.
Some other farmers the GNA engaged also lamented the impact of the armyworm infestation which was likely to have a significant psychological impact on many farmers in the area who lost their livelihoods and were struggling to cope with the loss.
They said the situation in Abolove-Nolopi community was a stark reminder of the importance of effective pest management, essential to farmers to have access to the tools and resources they need to control the infestations.
They hoped that with the right support, many other farmers in the Abolove-Nolopi community and beyond who were experiencing the challenges would be able to recover from the armyworm infestation and restore their crops.
The situation in the area has required an urgent attention, and was important for stakeholders to take immediate action and address the crisis to mitigate the economic and emotional challenges the farmers were passing through.
The GNA also gathered that many rice farmers in the area were also appealing for combined -harvester machine to help harvest and process their products easily.