Govt deploys 630 trained youths to check army worm invasion

June 18, 2017 6:48 AM

The state Acting Governor, Ibrahim Hassan, gave the directives on Saturday during an assessment tour of affected farmlands.

Jigawa Acting Governor, Ibrahim Hassan

The Jigawa Government has directed the state’s Ministry of Agriculture to deploy 630 youths trained on pest control to all the local government areas affected by armyworm invasion.

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Hassan, in a statement by his Director Press, Alhaji Ahmad Haruna, noted that the menace is threatening to wipe out early planted rice, sorghum, guinea corn and maize across the state.

He also ordered the state’s Agricultural Supply Company (JASCO) to release all the needed chemicals and pesticides without further delay to tackle the menace.

“The Agric ministry should mobilise and deploy the 630 youths who were trained as pest control agents under the value chain programme to spray the affected areas and create buffer zones to check further infestation.

“JASCO should immediately release enough cartons of contact pesticides at no cost to farmers for use by the pest control team," Hassan said.