The Kaduna State Government has tackled ‘Stem-borer worm’, the disease destroying stems and leaves of irrigated maize farms in the state.

Malam Dahiru Abdullahi, the Information Officer of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the disease outbreak had affected many irrigated maize farms.

However, he said it had been contained by Extension Services Staff and the farmers themselves

The Stem-borer worms disease reportedly affected Maize irrigated farms in many states including Kaduna at the beginning of the 2017 dry season farming.

Maize
He said most farmers had been trained on measures to control the disease during an outbreak in the 2016 dry season farming in the state.

“So, this year’s outbreak was easily curtailed as a result of intensive training on the application of pesticides against the disease when it was reported during dry season farming in 2016.

“When the Kaduna Agriculture Development Programme (KADP) team in Maigana Zone (Northern Kaduna) visited some affected farms the extension officers discovered that most of the farmers controlled the disease affecting the crop by themselves,’’ Adbullahi said.

He said that the KADP officials were, however, not relenting to ensure that the worms were totally eradicated from maize farms to enhance food supply in the state. (NAN)