NGOZI February 1st (ABP) – The Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Sanctus Niragira, visited on Monday, January 30, 2023, the rice-growing swamp of Nyacijima II in Ngozi province, to realize the situation of the African armyworm which ravages the rice fields.
Minister Niragira noted that this caterpillar is a problem especially since it is present in a swamp which has more than 290 ha of rice. Spraying activities are advanced, more than 50 ha of Nyacijima II swamp have been sprayed since last Thursday.
Mr. Niragira expressed his satisfaction with the state of collaboration between the provincial technical services of his ministry and the administration to combine efforts to eradicate that problem. He also finds that the phytosanitary products used are very effective, but deplores the lack of spray pumps. To overcome that shortcoming, Minister Niragira ordered the requisition of ODECA pumps located in the province of Ngozi and even in the peripheral provinces, to be used in the disinsectization against those pests.
The management in charge of phytosanitary products was asked to redouble their efforts to make the products available in large quantities. With regard to organo-mineral fertilizers, the Minister said that the Director General of Agriculture has been ordered to report to the FOMI plant during the current week to report on the availability of those fertilizers and proceed with the distribution so as not to interfere with the vegetative cycle of the rice.