Kisii famine looms over maize virus

Famine is looming in Kisii county following the destruction
of maize by the Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease.
Many farmers might harvest little or nothing following the
spread of the disease.
Agriculture executive Vincent Sagwe on Thursday said the
disease has caused massive losses.
"Thousands of families in the county will be faced with food
shortage because the disease has destroyed up 100 per
cent of some maize farms," he said.
Sagwe said that the viral disease, spread by aphids and
thrips, causes secondary fungal infection on the ears and
grains of maize and manifests through rotting, dying leaves
leading to premature plant death.
Speaking at Keigamere in Bobasi subcounty during a field
day, Sagwe said Nyaribari Masaba, Bobasi, Bomachoge and
Marani areas are the worst his by the disease.
"The effect is much higher than it was last year because the
disease has been spread from parts of the Rift Valley where
it caused massive damage," he said.
"I am urging farmers to change attitudes and adopt other
crops like millet, sorghum, highland rice and wheat to
moderate effects of the disease."
Sagwe said the Kisii government will buy and distribute
disease resistant maize seeds and build satellite cereal
depots to boost food reserves in the county.
He said they are going to form spray gangs to help farmers
fumigate their crops as this reduces the impact of the
disease if done early.
Sagwe said the disease was not caused by bad seeds and
fertilisers but by a virus.