Armyworm Poses a Major Threat to Food Security Worldwide

Crop-Destroying Armyworm “Spreading Rapidly” in Africa –Study

Crop-destroying armyworm caterpillar is now spreading rapidly across Mainland Africa and could soon spread to tropical Asia and the Mediterranean, becoming a major threat to agriculture and food security worldwide, said CABI.

“We are now able to confirm that the fall armyworm is spreading very rapidly outside the Americas, and it can be expected to spread to the limits of suitable African habitat within just a few years. It likely travelled to Africa as adults or egg masses on direct commercial flights and has since been spread within Africa by its own strong flight ability and carried as a contaminant on crop produce,” CABI’s Chief Scientist said.

The fall armyworm destroys crop by burrows into them. It’s called the fall armyworm because it migrates into temperate North America in Autumn (fall). This pest has long been a problem throughout tropical America, damaging vital crops. It mostly affects maize (corn) but it has been recorded eating more than 100 different plant species, causing major damage to economically important cultivated grass crops such as maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane as well as other crops including cabbage, beet, peanut, soybean, alfalfa, onion, cotton, pasture grasses, millet, tomato, potato and cotton. Source: CABI

Related Links

• Armyworms March across Southern Africa Plaguing Crop Fields
• Scientists discover new crop-destroying Armyworm is now “spreading rapidly” in Africa

 

Armyworms March across Southern Africa Plaguing Crop Fields

• CJ Members

Outbreaks of Armyworms across Southern Africa threaten crops in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe

• An outbreak of armyworms has plagued Malawi, spreading across the southern African country and threatening maize and other crops.
• Malawi is the third country in the region to be invaded by armyworms.

• Details of Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

‘State of Disaster’ Declared in Zimbabwe over Drought

If humans had more time left, they would probably wipe out the population of Africa in 10 – 20 years

Southern Africa: 14 Million people face hunger due to the prolonged drought

A “state of disaster” has been declared in much of Zimbabwe’s rural areas plagued by a severe drought, with more than a quarter of the population facing food shortages, AFP reported.

A regional drought has affected South Africa, Malawi and Zambia and Zimbabwe, killing tens of thousands of cattle, drying up dams and destroying crops.

“Initial indications were that 1.5 million people were food insecure with all the 60 rural districts being affected,” said the Public Works Minister.

“Overall, the food insecure population has since risen to 2.44 million [or 26 percent of the population.]

More than 16,500 cattle have died in Zimbabwe, and 75 percent of crops have been abandoned in the worst-hit areas, said the report.

At least 14 million people across southern Africa face hunger due to the prolonged drought, WFP said.

Horn of Africa – Somali

An estimated 4.7 million people — nearly 40 per cent of the Somali population — are in need of humanitarian assistance. About 950,000 of them are acutely food insecure and struggle every day to meet their food needs, with internally displaced people accounting for 68 per cent of those who are are in dire need of assistance.

“The level of malnutrition, especially among children, is of serious concern, with nearly 305,000 children under the age of five years acutely malnourished. We estimate that 58,300 children face death if they are not treated. The drought could push these numbers higher in the months to come. We must act now. Partners are ready to scale up response, but funding is urgently needed to ensure this is done in a timely manner,” said UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia. [What happens to the vast sums of money given to the UN?]

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is experiencing its worst drought in decades, leaving 10.2 million people in need of emergency food aid.

Northeast Africa – South Sudan

South Sudan is facing unprecedented levels of food insecurity, as 2.8 million people — nearly 25 percent of the country’s population — remain in urgent need of food assistance, and at least 40,000 people are on the brink of catastrophe, three UN agencies warned today.

14 Million Face Hunger in Southern Africa

Southern Africa’s planting window closes with little or no prospect of rain

About 14 million people in southern Africa are facing hunger after a poor harvest last year caused by prolonged periods of drought.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says it is increasingly concerned about food security for an estimated 14 million people in southern Africa after prolonged periods of drought led to a poor harvest in 2015.

The window for the planting of cereals is closing rapidly, or already closed in some countries, with little or no rain falling in many areas, and the outlook is alarming, said WFP.

“Driving through southern Zambia, I saw fields of crops severely stressed from lack of water and met farmers who are struggling to cope with a second season of erratic rains,” said WFP Executive Director who recently visited to drought-prone southern Zambia. “Zambia is one of the biggest breadbaskets in the region and what’s happening there gives serious cause for concern not only for Zambia itself but all countries in the region.”

Worst affected in the region by last year’s poor rains are Malawi (2.8 million people facing hunger), Madagascar (nearly 1.9 million people) and Zimbabwe (1.5 million) where last year’s harvest was reduced by half compared to the previous year because of massive crop failure.

In Lesotho, the government last month declared a drought emergency and some 650,000 people – one third of the population – do not have enough food. In Lesotho as elsewhere, water is in extremely short supply for both crops and livestock. Also causing concern are Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Food prices across southern Africa have been rising due to reduced production and availability. The price of maize – the staple for most of the region – is 73 percent higher in Malawi than the three-year average for this time of year.

“One particularly worrying symptom of southern Africa’s vulnerability to food and nutrition security is the alarming rate of chronic malnutrition. Levels of stunting among children in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are among the worst in the world. This affects children’s physical growth, cognitive development, as well as their future health and productivity,” said the report.

 

Drought and Deluge Plague Southern Africa

Tropical Storm FUNDI brings torrential rains to Madagascar, as below average rains deepen rainfall deficits in Angola and Namibia, said NOAA.

Storms, floods kill at least 158 in Mozambique

At least 158 people have been killed as floods plagues central and northern Mozambique, said the state news agency AIM.

More than 177,000 people were affected, many of them displaced as severe weather destroys 654 schools, 7 health centers and more than 100 places of worship, reported AIM.

Meantime, a cholera outbreak in Nampula, Niassa and Tete provinces have has killed at least 19 people, from a total of 1,671 cases, said the Deputy Health Minister

“Since mid-December, consistent and significantly heavy rainfall has been received over southeastern Africa. In parts of southern Malawi, as well as, central and northern Mozambique, these rains have resulted in widespread flooding, extensive damage to crops, livestock and infrastructure, thousands of displaced people, and fatalities. The excess moisture also has elevated the risk for downstream river inundation along the Shire, Licungo, Zambezi, Mazoe, Pungue, and Save Rivers in the region. Above-average rain forecast for the next week will keep flooding risks elevated,” said NOAA

Locust Plague Continues in Madagascar

Locust plague threatens livelihoods of 60% of Madagascar population

Locust infestations is threatening the livelihoods of 13 million Malagasy, about 60 percent of the population, nine million of whom entirely depend on Agriculture.

The locust could wipe out food crops and livestock grazing lands and destroy the peasant families’ ability to provide for themselves, said the FAO.

“The heart of the locust plague is in the country’s southwestern region – an area prone to drought and cyclones, where more than 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line. In February 2013, Cyclone Haruna flooded rice fields in the region’s coastal areas – rice production is central to Madagascar’s economy – causing significant damage while also creating ideal breeding conditions for locusts. ”

More than 1.5 million hectares, some two-thirds of the country, could be infested by locusts by September 2013, said FAO.

A locust plague can last more than a decade, if left untreated, progressively intensifying each season. Tens of billion of locusts  devastate food crops, as well as grazing lands, which are vital for keeping livestock healthy and productive.

Adult Migratory Locusts can multiply quickly, forming highly mobile groups and swarms. Depending on its size, a swarm – made up of millions of locusts – can eat up to 100 000 tonnes of green vegetation per day. A locust plague – which is what Madagascar is now facing – means thousands of swarms. That translates to billions of locusts. —FAO

Related Links

• Hundreds of Billions of Locusts Hit Madagascar March 28, 2013

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DISASTER CALENDAR – May 6, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,041 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,041 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Two Million People Facing Food Shortages in Malawi

Maize prices soared by 231 percent in Malawi

The southern African nation of Malawi is experiencing a maize shortage after two consecutive dry seasons. Maize is Malawi’s staple diet, accounting for 90 percent of all caloric intake, said a report.

“A 50-kg bag of maize used to cost around 13 dollars, but now the price has more than doubled to about 30 dollars – way above the earnings of those living in dire poverty, on less than 20 dollars a month.”

The food situation has further worsened recently, as 30,000 metric tons of maize held in the strategic grain reserves were spoiled.

Queues at Malawi’s state-run maize traders are never-ending as thousands of people wait for days to purchase the staple crop. At the Lilongwe Admarc people sleep overnight in the queue as they wait for a chance to buy maize. More than two million people are facing food shortages this year due to the prolonged dry spells and soaring food prices.  Credit: Mabvuto Banda/IPS

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Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Death toll in Dhaka building collapse tops 300

Death toll in Dhaka building collapse had reached 304, as of posting, and the authorities feared that hundreds of others were still trapped in the wreckage.

• The building housed factories that made low-cost garments for Western brands, especially the European and North American chains, said a report. 

• About 60 percent of Bangladesh’s low-cost garment exports go to Europe,  23 percent to the U.S., and 5 percent to Canada.

• “Wednesday’s collapse was the third major industrial incident in five months in Bangladesh. In November, a fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory on the outskirts of Dhaka killed 112 people.”

• Some 3,122 people, most of them female garment workers, were in the Rana Plaza building at the time of collapse despite warnings that it was structurally unsafe, officials  said.
  

• About 2,350 people have been rescued from the wreckage, but more than half of them injured.

0O0

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DISASTER CALENDAR – April 26, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,051 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,051 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Flood Disaster Spreads in Mozambique

NOTE:  On January 29, 2013, WordPress/Google again tightened access to this blog, reducing traffic by a further 75 percent.

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Severe flooding in Mozambique affects about ¼ million, killing 111 and displacing 186,000 people

A storm system in the Mozambique Channel threatens to bring even more heavy rains to much of Mozambique and Madagascar, exacerbating the current flood situation, said UN OCHA.

• “The Ministry of Agriculture’s preliminary assessment indicates about 191,315 ha (473,000 acres) have been affected by floods, including 166,278 ha of cultivated land destroyed. The most affected province is Gaza, followed by Inhambane and Maputo.”

• Other affected provinces include Zambezia and Cabo Delgado.

• Hundreds of cases of cholera infections and at least 2 related deaths have been reported in Cabo Delgado province between 28 January and 13 February 2013, according to the Ministry of Health.

• Extreme rain events have triggered severe flooding in several other southern African countries, including Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and northern Zimbabwe.

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February 16, 2013 – DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,120 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,120 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs