US food security plan sets aside Sh40m for armyworm solutions

A US government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future, is set to spend up to Sh40 million ($400,000) on digital solutions against the spread of fall armyworm across Africa.

In partnership with Land O’Lakes International Development and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the initiative is calling for applications for the Fall Armyworm Tech Prize.

Selected digital solutions will strengthen resilience against fall armyworm and mitigate risks to food security across the continent.

Fall armyworm attacks over 80 different plant species, with agriculture experts estimating the pest could cause between Sh240 billion and Sh620 billion ($2.4 billion and $6.2 billion) in losses for maize, a major staple crop in Africa on which more than 200 million people depend.

Crops like Sorghum, rice and sugarcane are also at risk.

If unchecked, fall armyworm is a threat to the livelihoods of farmers and to food security across the continent.

“One grand prize of Sh15 million ($150,000) will be awarded to the most viable solution. Two awards of Sh7.5 million ($75,000) for the most promising solutions, and two runner-up awards of Sh5 million ($50,000) for early stage developments that show potential,” the organisation said in a statement.

READ: Armyworm war takes food and soil scientists to Brazil

Late last year, the Kenyan government through the Ministry of Agriculture reported that the fall armyworms had cut maize production by four million bags, hurting farmers’ earnings.

The agriculture ministry said they expected post-harvest losses to rise to about 20 per cent of the forecast harvest, which was equivalent to 7.4 million bags.

Native to the Americas, the fall armyworm was first identified in Africa in 2016. It is now present across sub-Saharan Africa in more than 35 countries. It is on the precipice of devastating food staples as it quickly spreads across the continent.

The female fall armyworm can lay up to 1,000 eggs at a time and can produce multiple generations very quickly without pause in tropical environments.

And if allowed to reach maturity, the female armyworm moths can fly distances up to 1,600 kilometres in 30 hours.