The ministry of agriculture and Livestock would like to announce to the farming community throughout the country and the general public at large that there’s an outbreak of Armyworms in some parts of Zambia. We urge all farmers to be vigilant and report any suscipicious worms to the nearest agricultural office for verification

The ministry is on high alert and is monitoring the army worm outbreak. Agricultural officers have been sent in the field to take remedial measures on the spot.

We would like to assure all farmers in the affected areas that our offices have commenced spraying in affected areas of central, Lusaka, Eastern, Muchinga and Southern provinces and other areas. However, farmers in the rest of the country should also be vigilant as the pest appears to be spreading at fast rate.

The ministry is taking the following measures to contain the situation.

Ministry of Agriculture staff are on the ground spraying

Chemicals have been purchased to deal with the pest

The international Red Locust Organisation is working with the ministry to contain the outbreak of armyworms

The Zambia National Farmers Union is also sensitizing farmers on the outbreak.

The National Agricultural Information Services has gone flat out sensitizing farmers on both radio and television

Farmers are advised to buy chemicals for spraying such as

Cypermethrin

Malathion

Fenvelate

Denitrothion

Diazion

Dursban 4E

Farmers who may not have chemicals should approach the district agricultural co-coordinators’ office for free spraying. The army worm is hairless and has a shiny black colour on the back, light stripes on the side, and a greenish yellow belly on the underside. It feeds only on grass and that is and that is why maize is under threat. Whoever has seen any army worms in their field should contact the camp extension officer or get in touch with the Department of Agriculture on telephone number 0211 251871 and 0211 252029 or cell number 0979580995

Farmers should contact the nearest agricultural officer at the camp, block, district, provincial and national offices.

Emmanuel .T. Chenda, MP

Minister of Agriculture and Livestock

In Zambia Agriculture plays a key role of supporting industries by the production of the required raw materials , producing exportable agricultural goods, genarating employment particularly in rural areas, as well as provinding food stuffs essential for the sustenance of acceptable nutrition stardards and levels.

To achieve the Government's role, the ministry has the following objectives:-

1. To effectively plan, monitor and evaluate agricultural sector programmes;
2. To promote agricultural production by provinding policy guidelines to action programmes
3. To facilitate the policies that would ensure national and regional food security through dependable annual production of adequate suppliesf basic food stuffs at competetive prices;
4. To ensure that the existing agricultural resource base is well maintained and improved upon
5. To ensure that policies are formulated and implemented to facilitate the generation of income and employment to maximum feasible levels in all regions through full utilisation of scarce resources realization of domestic and export potential;
6. To provide policy and institutional framework that would contribute to sustainable industrial development; and
7. To ensure the contribution of the agricultural sector to the national balance of payments expands by among other things, by provinding incentives that would expand agricultural export in line with international comparative advantage.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) comprises the following Departments. The Department are headed by a Director who reports to the Permanent Secretary.

• Department of Agriculture;
• Zambia Agriculture Research Institute;
• Seed Control and Certification Institute
• Department of Co-operatives;
• Department of Agri-business and Marketing;
• Department of Poilicy and Planning;
• Department of Human Resources and Administration;
• Department of Livestock Development;
• Department of Veterinary Services
• Fisheries Department.

MANDATE OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is responsible for the following portfolio functions:

• Agriculture and co-operatives policy
• Agriculture economics and market development.
• Co-operatives development
• Field Services
• Food Security
• Agricultural Research and specialist services
• Rural Finance
• Agricultural market policy
• Irrigation Development
• Agricultural extension (crops, livestock and fisheries)
• Seeds, standards and grades
• Veterinary and Tsetse control services
• Livestock development
• Veterinary and Fisheries training

“To facilitate and develop mechanisms to ensure that the policies and objectives set for the agricultural sector are achieved and to recommend changes where necessary.”