Lamua says the pests have destroyed large extensions of farmlands in Mundri and Lakama areas.

“This destruction is very severe because most of the farmers who cultivated in the same season, all of their crops were destroyed according to my observation”, Lamua told Eye Radio on Friday.

“Two days ago, I was there in the village and I saw some of these things and in two locations, 50 feddans of land were affected. Lakama East was completely affected and even Mundri at large was completely affected.

“I am concerned because you know the livelihood of the people depends on the crops that they are growing and once it is destroyed, I am really concerned.”

When contacted by Eye Radio, Western Equatoria’s Minister of Agriculture Authorities confirmed the pests’ outbreak in Mundri East and Mundri West counties.

Alson Barnaba, however said, the state government has set up an assessment team of experts to visit the affected areas in the coming days.

“We set up a team which will be moving there on Sunday or next Monday to give a solution to the problem in the Mundri-West,” Barnaba told Eye Radio.

“Fall Armyworms issue is not so serious like the other lockers and other Armyworms because these ones only last for a few weeks and vanish so there is no much fear and panic about it.

“We are going to control them because the most typical agriculture staff are going to move to Mundri West and Mundri-East together with our partners.

‘The state minister of Agriculture and Forestry and Environment will be traveling there to handle the situation so the armyworms are not a big threat to us.”

Alson Barnaba said the pests have been identified as African armyworms

African armyworms are subtropical crop pests capable of destroying cereal crops in a matter of weeks.

In 2017, the government declared an armyworm outbreak in the Equatoria region including Magwi, Yei and Juba, Northern Bahr-el-Gazal, and parts of the Jonglei area.