Pests damage crops in Sudan’s El Gedaref

Several farmers in Sudan’s El Gedaref state adjacent to the Ethiopian border complain that a pest referred to locally as ‘American worm’ has damaged about 500 acres of sorghum in the state’s northern areas.

This represents a hefty chunk of the 3,000 acres cultivated. There has also been ‘significant damage’ in Wadi El Sam, Karadees, and Kobo Arbaa.

The director of the Centre for the transfer and application of technology, Engineer Magdi Bakhit has described the pest as dangerous, saying that it cannot be exterminated with chemicals as that can damage cotton and okra.

He told Radio Dabanga that the worm has spread in the northern areas and Wad El Helo over an estimated ten per cent of the land cultivated with sorghum.