Jigawa Armyworm Outbreak Destroys 790 Hectares, Leaves Farmers Counting Losses

News in brief:

— Armyworm infested over 790 hectares of farmland in Jigawa State, with farmers reporting major losses of beans and sesame crops.

— The outbreak threatens household and rural incomes as experts warn that climate change increases the risk of pest outbreaks.

An armyworm infestation has damaged about 790 hectares of farmland in Birniwa Local Government Area of Jigawa State, leaving farmers with significant crop losses and raising concerns over food security and rural livelihoods.

The pest, locally known in Hausa as “Maremare,” has affected farms growing beans, sesame and other crops, with some farmers reporting losses of more than 90% of their expected harvests. This outbreak has prompted government intervention as well.

However, for farmers who depend heavily on agriculture for both food and income, the losses could extend beyond the current farming season.

Farmers Lose Expected Harvests

Yusuf Abdullahi, one of the affected farmers, claimed that he planted about six mudus of beans and expected to harvest more than 20 bags. Instead, the armyworms destroyed his crop, and he expects to harvest only about 10% of it.

The damage represents more than lost produce. Farmers invest in seeds, land preparation, labour, fertiliser and other inputs before crops reach harvest.

Abdullahi said the Birniwa Local Government Council had provided pesticides and advice to farmers, while the state government had sent a technical team to assess the extent of the damage.

Meanwhile, Abba Ibrahim, another farmer in the area, said he lost more than 25 bags of beans and 12 bags of sesame to the infestation.

Alhaji Kadai Yarda reported a loss of about six bags of beans, while Sama’ila Muhammad Dalari said the outbreak destroyed crops worth about 15 bags of expected beans.

Haruna Maidugu estimated his loss at seven bags of beans, but the impact is more than just loss of income. His farm provides much of the food his household consumes. He typically eats part of his harvest and sells the remainder to pay for other household needs.

“But the armyworm has destroyed the farm,” he lamented.

Adamu Aminu Malindi reported losses equivalent to about 16 bags of beans. At the same time, Iliyasu Abdullahi Gomari said he had expected to harvest about 20 bags, some of which would have helped meet family obligations, including preparations for his children’s weddings.

Government Swings into Action

The Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA) revealed that it became aware of the infestation after receiving reports from field extension agents and the district head.

JATA Director-General, Dr Saifullahi Umar, said the agency subsequently deployed a technical team to conduct a rapid assessment of affected farms and profile farmers who had suffered losses.

The agency also provided agrochemicals and technical advice to help farmers control the infestation and limit further crop damage.

Umar linked the increasing risk of pest outbreaks to changing weather patterns. He explained that periods of high temperatures followed by prolonged interruptions in rainfall could create favourable conditions for pests and diseases.

The development, he said, reinforced the need for agricultural authorities to strengthen early-warning and rapid-response systems and to improve farmers’ knowledge of pest identification and control.

Why Armyworms Pose a Serious Threat

An agricultural expert at the Federal University Dutse, Prof. Ado Garba Jangargari, described armyworms as highly destructive moth larvae that can rapidly damage crops.

He said the pests commonly attack cereals including maize, rice, sorghum and wheat, as well as grasses and some vegetables.

Armyworms can spread quickly across farmland and feed heavily on plant leaves. Younger larvae scrape the surface of leaves, while older larvae can consume substantial portions of the foliage.

In maize, the larvae can also move into the plant’s whorl and damage its central growing point.

Severe feeding can reduce a plant’s ability to photosynthesise, resulting in stunted growth and, in serious cases, complete crop failure.

The pests can also damage grain-producing parts of plants and create openings through which fungal and bacterial infections may develop.

For farmers, the result can be a combination of lower yields, reduced produce quality and financial losses.

Early Detection and Integrated Pest Management

Jangargari advised farmers to monitor their fields regularly and act as soon as signs of infestation emerge.

He recommended early planting and regular weed removal, particularly the removal of wild grasses that can serve as breeding grounds for pests.

Intercropping with crops less appealing to armyworms could also form part of an integrated pest management strategy, he said.

The expert further recommended biological control methods, noting that natural predators such as parasitic wasps, predatory beetles, ants and birds can help reduce pest populations.

Approved biological pesticides, including neem-based products and**** Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), could also be used, particularly during the early larval stage.

He cautioned farmers against indiscriminate pesticide application and recommended rotating chemical classes to reduce the risk of pests developing resistance.

Beyond Emergency Intervention

The Jigawa outbreak highlights the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to sudden pest attacks, particularly where households depend heavily on a single farming season for food and income.

While the immediate provision of pesticides and technical assistance could help contain the outbreak, affected farmers are also seeking broader support to recover from losses and return to production.

For agricultural authorities, the incident reinforces the importance of strengthening extension services, pest surveillance and early-warning systems alongside access to approved crop-protection products.

With changing weather patterns potentially influencing the emergence and spread of agricultural pests, faster detection and coordinated responses could be critical to preventing localised outbreaks from developing into wider threats to crop production.

For the farmers of Birniwa, however, the immediate priority remains recovery. After investing in a season’s production, many are now waiting for government assistance to replace what the armyworms have taken from their fields.