NIMBA COUNTY: Latest reports from three districts in Nimba County indicate that battalions of army worms have massively uprooted food crops from farms including cocoa, pepper, cabbage, garden eggs among others.
Speaking to our Nimba County correspondent, over the weekend, some of the villagers whose farms have been severely damaged by the rampaging worms highlighted what they described as grave dangers posed to their farms.
The affected farmers explained that the situation may have far-reaching negative consequences sooner than later for farmers in other nearby villages and towns in Nimba County.
Some of the places where local farmers are feeling the severe impacts of the worms include Kpain Town, Domah Town, among others in Nimba County’s Districts#1,2 and 8.
As a result of the raging attacks by the worms, hundreds of local farmers are now facing serious challenges in the implementation of their farming works in that part of the country.
According to the aggrieved farmers, the worms are not only uprooting and damaging food crops; they are also polluting creeks and other waterways indiscriminately.
Prior to the worms attack, the creeks were being used by the villagers who predominately include women, children and the elderly, for drinking, cooking, washing and other domestic purposes.
Some of the affected villagers identified themselves as Mezee Domah, Keturah Kou Gogol and Ernest Johnson, all of whom are farmers in Domah Town.
They alarmed that the worms have effectively and indiscriminately enveloped their farms and destroying food crops and contaminating water bodies.
The farmers said they are now distressed and wondered as to how they will meet the basic food needs of their respective families.
According to the affected farmers, the worms-attacking situation will exacerbate sooner than later in the rest of the nine electoral districts of Nimba if nothing concrete is urgently done by the relevant Liberian authorities and international development partners to bring it under control.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved local farmers told our correspondent that due to lack of the necessary chemicals to urgently address the worms’ problems, they are now beginning to battle with the worms by spreading the creatures with table-salt.
As a result of the pollution being caused to drinking water sources in the affected towns and villages, some residents are now purchasing sacs of drinking water for use at home and other the farms.
Local government officials in the area, according to the farmers, are yet to respond to their plights.
