Prof Maghembe said this when responding to a supplementary question from said Amour Afri (Mpanda Town - Chadema) who had wanted to know what the government was doing to eradicate bollworms pests.
”The government is spending a lot of money on research and we have come up with a new variety of cotton that is more resistant to pests and droughts, however we must change the laws before the crop can be cultivated by farmers,” Prof Maghembe explained.

The new variety called “best cotton” is resistant to the boll worm pests and drought and will enable farmers reap bumper harvests.

Earlier in his main question, Mr. Victor Kilasile Mwambalaswa (Lupa –CCM) had wanted to know where the government had reached in terms of conducting research to eradicate the bollworm pest and what efforts were been made to have Chunya cotton farmers adopt alternative cash crop farming.

Responding to the main question, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr. Christopher Chiza, said the government had stopped cotton farming in Ruvuma, Iringa, Rukwa and Mbeya region, including Chunya district due to effects of bollworm pest.

He said the pest caused a lot of destruction in cotton farming in Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland and South Africa, prompting authorities there to put in place quarantine order since 1946.
Mr. Chiza said the bollworm was first spotted on wild cotton in the country in 1925 in Songea district, having originated from Mozambique.

“The move to impose the quarantine was to ensure the pest does not spread to other areas such as the Eastern Cotton Grown areas (ECGA),” he explained.

“In 1999 the bollworm was spotted by researchers in Chunya districts in Kanga, Galula, Magambam Wanzani and Chang’ombe villages, out of fear of the possibility of the pest spreading to other areas, the government stopped cotton growing in those villages and issued a Cotton Quarantine Area, Order 2000.

The Bollworm has ability to spread quickly and the pest had spread to Mpanda, in Rukwa region, where it was previously not present. The whole region of Rukwa was also placed under quarantine he,” explained.

The Deputy Minister noted that alternative cash crops that the government was advocating for in the said areas, including for in the said areas, including Chunya, are Sunflower and sesame.

“Other alternative crops are Maize, tomatoes, pepper. My ministry will continue to cooperate with Chunya district council to educate its public on the opportunities available in the agricultural sector” he noted.

Source: Daily News,