Agricultural experts have raised alarm over the increasing destruction of maize crops caused by the fall armyworm, warning that the invasive pest continues to account for a significant percentage of crop losses across the country.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reports that the fall armyworm, which originated in the Americas, has invaded over 80 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Europe.

It causes up to 73 percent yield loss in maize and has resulted in an estimated USD 9.4 billion in damages in Africa alone.

According to George Ong’amo, a fall armyworm management expert from FAO, says the pest is responsible for up to 10–30 percent of maize yield losses in Kenya.

The notorious pest, which primarily attacks maize but also feeds on sorghum and other cereal crops, has become a persistent threat to food security in the country.

Ong’amo made the remarks while at Namamba Farmers Field School (FFS) during the Agriculture Field Day in Kabuchai Constituency, Bungoma County.

He reported that to help address fall armyworm control among Bungoma farmers, FAO has partnered with the Bungoma County Government and farmers in the region, where they have established 10 farmer field school demonstration plots that enable other farmers to visit and acquire knowledge on ways of controlling the pest.

“We are working with farmers in the region on how fall armyworms can be managed without having serious effects on our health as far as chemical pesticides are concerned,” he said.

The expert revealed that the invasive pest was first reported in the country in March 2017, stating that since then it has spread to many maize-producing areas where it is known to cause serious losses to farmers.

“We live to the fact that farmers are using pesticides to minimize the losses associated with its infestation, unfortunately, we have our fears that these products can have negative effects,” he noted.

To avoid effects on human health, Ong’amo stated that the organization started fall armyworm projects in Bungoma that bring farmers together to train them on how to control the pest on their farms.

“Today we have brought four farmers field schools to come and learn for themselves what other farmers’ schools are doing to control fall armyworm infestation,” he said.

So far, Ong’amo reports that there are no indications of resistant maize varieties among the products available in Agrovets.

“All the maize varieties are infested, but we are looking forward to working with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), who are also trying to test some other varieties that can be considered tolerant,” he said.

He noted that maize is just one of the plants affected by the pest, explaining that it infets more than 80 plant species, although maize remains the main concern.

Further, he said that other methods to control the pest include timely planting, biological control and the use of cultural control practices to minimize the spread and impact of the fall armyworm.

Timely planting enables crops to establish early and become stronger before peak infestation periods, reducing vulnerability to severe damage. Delayed planting, he noted, often exposes young maize plants to heavy pest attacks when the armyworm population is at its highest.

He urged farmers to combine these strategies under an integrated pest management approach to achieve better and long-term control of the pest while safeguarding yields and household incomes.

Susan Ngera, an Agricultural Officer from the Bungoma County Government, said that as the planting season approaches, the knowledge will help farmers control the pest on their farms.

“We appreciate FAO for bringing us this initiative because before this project came, we were getting huge losses associated with this pest, but after farmers were engaged we can now see an improvement,” she said.

The officer argued that the approach is one of the extension methods, as the Farmers Field Schools (FFS) help in reaching out to other farmers.

“Over 10,000 farmers in Bungoma County have been reached,” she said, noting that the outreach programme has focused on equipping farmers with practical skills to detect and manage fall armyworm infestations early.

She noted that they have also stationed a demonstration plot at Mabanga Agricultural Training College (ATC), where farmers can walk in and learn how fall armyworms are controlled.