Farmers count losses as worms wreak havoc on muguka farms

In Kirinyaga, they have infested Mugambaciura, Kanjinji, Murinduko and Ngucui where muguka is grown in large scale.

The grubs which are giant larvae of beetles attack the plant roots, leaving them todie.

Farmers started uprooting some of the affected muguka stems.

Ms Mary Muthike, a farmer from Kirinyaga, called on the government to intervene.

"I'm losing Sh30,000 every week following the invasion of my one acre of muguka farm and it is now difficult for me to meet all my financial obligations," she added.

Farmers said the pests are resisted to the locally available farm chemicals.

"The chemicals we buy from the market are not killing the worms and we need to be helped," added Ms Muthike.

The farmers are now turning to ingenious methods to control the worms.

"We are applying ashes in a bid to control these pests.We are also removing out the worms and crushing them.However, the methods are not very effective," another farmer Florence Wawira lamented.

The farmers use income generated from Muguka to feed and educate their children.

"Muguka is the only remaining crop which is giving us good money but it is now being destroyed. We need a solution to the problem," a farmer from Mbeere North Sub-County, Mr Joseph Kithu said.

Dr Paul Kinoti, an agricultural scientist said such worms are highly destructive and they should be tamed as soon as possible.

" These are dangerous worms which feed on roots of crops and grass. They are sometimes seen in animal feaces which are converted into manure for application in farms," he explained.

However, he said there are good chemicals which can be sprayed and get rid of the worms.

"Chemicals used to kill cutworms are the same ones which are sprayed on grub worms.Farmers should go for them to save their Muguka crop," he said.

Dr Kinoti who is also a lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology told the farmers not to panic as there is a solution to the problem they were facing.