Tanzania - Armyworm Infestation
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| Map of Tanzania |
Regional Team: ECA
Disaster Declared: 02/23/2006
Brief Description: The African armyworm is a serious pest that damages cereal crops, sugarcane, pastures, and rangeland in sub-Saharan Africa. A large-scale outbreak of armyworm is threatening tens of thousands of hectares of food and other crops in more than 15 districts in Iringa, Dodoma, Singida, Manyara, Morogoro, and Lindi regions of central and southern Tanzania.
The 2005/2006 migratory armyworm season began in southern Africa following the onset of rains in December 2005. Prolonged dry spells, combined with isolated rainstorms in affected areas of Tanzania, created favorable conditions for mass breeding by armyworm moths. According to the Government of Tanzania (GOT), the first infestations in the country were reported in early January 2006. Although endemic to Tanzania, the 2006 armyworm outbreak has the potential to cause extensive damage, with reports of more than 63,000 hectares of cereal crops already destroyed, exacerbating food insecurity caused by current drought conditions. On February 16, 2006, the GOT issued an appeal for international assistance.
On February 23, 2006, U.S. Ambassador Michael L. Retzer declared a disaster due to the effects of the infestation. In response, OFDA provided $50,000 through USAID/Tanzania for the purchase and distribution of equipment, including and limited to protective clothing, sprayers, and rental vehicles.
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