The army worms that have devoured crops and plagued some 21 villages in central Liberia are now moving across the border to neighbouring Guinea, the Liberian agricultural minister warned Tuesday.
"We have just received a call from a border town (…) indicating that the army worms have crossed the border and are now attacking areas within Guinea," Agricultural Minister Christopher Toe said.
The army worm, actually a kind of caterpillar, is one of the world's most destructive agricultural pests. When the caterpillars reach maturity they can lay waste to an entire crop in a matter of days.
An emergency coordinator for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Wednesday sounded the alarm over the insect invasion.
"There is a need for immediate action otherwise it may create problems for food production," Tim Vaessen of the FAO said.
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