Expert Counsels Farmers On Maize Disease

The Divisional Agricultural Officer for Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr. John Ogum, has called on farmers in the area to report cases of infestation of their maize crops.
Ogum who gave the charge in a phone chat with The Tide, on Monday, decried the attitude of farmers in not reporting such occurrences to the appropriate quarters for immediate solutions.
He attributed the menace to a kind of worm that can be prevented by doing a proper allocation of the necessary pesticide on the affected farms.
“There is a kind of pesticide that if applied properly can kill the worm,” he said.
On efforts by his office to sensitise farmers on the need to fight the scourge, Ogum expressed regret that farmers have not been reporting such cases as they happen.
“Except the farmers come to the office to explain their experiences, there is nothing the office can do about it,” he said.
The agric officer disclosed that farmers abound in the local government area but more than 90 per cent of them operate from Port Harcourt.
He explained that a good farmer should visit his or her farm regularly to monitor the health and progress of the crops.
“About 10 per cent of ABOLGA farmers live in the community while about 90 per cent are operating from Port Harcourt and elsewhere,” he said.
Ogum further advised that the advantages of regular farm visits cannot be over emphasised.
“If you do not visit your farm and your crops, especially maize, if infested by the worm then you stand to lose your farm,” he said.