Sweet potato farmers in Bukedea and Kumi districts counted huge losses after a strange worm invaded the area about two weeks ago and began ravaging sweet potatoes gardens. According to Jude Ongota, the Bukedea District Agricultural Officer said the worm was the larva stage of the sweet potato butterfly which is the most destructive stage of the pest. “Normally what happens with these butterflies; they lay eggs on the leaves of the sweet potato. Several leaves are merged together with a web then eggs are laid there. So once the eggs have hatched and larvae have dispersed they begin feeding on the leaves.” Said, Jude Ongota - Bukedea District Agricultural Officer.

Ongota said; nobody was sure where the worms came from but it was suspected that changing climatic conditions had favored their development. The worm eats up the green pigment in the leaves thereby affecting the development of the root tubers instantly reducing the size and the number of tubers and it also changes the sweet potato taste. According to Grace Amuria, a farmer in Aloweti said her garden was invaded by the worms two weeks ago and the potatoes had since become bitter. “Buy some medicine to spray and see whether we can at least kill those things there.” Said, Grace Amuria – Farmer.

Farmers were advised to monitor the infected crops and destroy them immediately to prevent the worm from spreading. “The most effective method is to destroy the nests before the larvae have dispersed out to the field.” “Then if the farmer has delayed destroying the waves, you will now have to spray, once we spray we can kill all these caterpillars.” Many farmers feared that there will be food shortages the Teso region in 2018 because the anticipated poor harvest of sweet potatoes which is the major food crop.