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Fall armyworm status and distribution: "The presence of armyworms was first identified in Zimbabwe in early January 2017 (Reuters 11/01/2017; Armyworm Network 05/01/2017). By February, armyworms had been detected in all of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces (Stratfor 24/02/2017). According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Zimbabwe is likely to be the hardest-hit country by armyworms in Southern Africa, with some 130,000 hectares of maize crops affected across the country (Reuters 16/02/2017). With maize being the main staple item for Zimbabweans and 4.1 million people in the country currently in need of food assistance, losses in maize production are expected to have a significant impact on food availability and intake (Fewsnet 01/03/2017)" - ACAPS Thematic Report: Armyworm outbreak in Africa, 23 March 2017.
Estimated yield loss:
References:
Africa- Fall armyworm outbreaks. ACAPS Thematic Report (2017). https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/170323_acaps_thematic_report_armyworms_2.pdf