The Ministry of Agriculture says it has put in place contingency plans to respond to any fall armyworm outbreak in the 2025/2026 farming season, including training farmers in pest management to promote Agriculture and promote food security across the country.

This follows the extensive damage recorded in the 2024/2025 farming season, when fall armyworms destroyed 25,919 hectares of crops. The pests affected 24,457 hectares of maize, 1,291 hectares of rice, 118 hectares of sorghum, 53 hectares of millet, and 2,928 hectares of pastures.
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‎The ministry spokesperson Anold Namanja stated that, the ministry have installed fall armyworms pheromone traps in various areas in all Extension Planning Areas EPAs across the Country to enable quick detection and response to any outbreak.
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‎Namanja also encourages farmers to complement chemical control with traditional methods, such as using neem leaves, tobacco leaves, and handpicking and crushing the worms when infestations occur.
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‎Meanwhile, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) President, Maness Nkhata, said the Union continues to provide extension and advisory services aimed at increasing farmers’ awareness and preparedness against any fall armyworms.
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(By Willa Ephraim)
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