As you might or might not know, South Africa is currently in the midst of a terrible drought. It has affected everyone in some way, but things might get even worse.
According to a report by Fin24, a number of maize farms are suffering some serious damage from an apparently alien caterpillar.
Here’s what we know so far:
- The species of pest is yet to be confirmed by the SA government, but it appears to be an “armyworm”
- These buggers have destroyed fields in other countries in the region.
- According to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the worm poses a serious threat to food production, most worryingly, maize – a staple food.
- There have been reports of the pest in northern Limpopo and North West. North West, along with the Free State, produces the bulk of our maize output.
- SA government said that if the pest is confirmed as an armyworm, it could be ‘disastrous” to maize production.
- Farms in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe have already copped it from these arseholes.