ESAT News (April 13, 2017)

Reuters quoting authorities reported on Thursday that Crop-eating caterpillars known as fall armyworms have damaged crops across southern Ethiopia, the latest country to be struck by the pests in a region already struggling with widespread drought and hunger.

In March, Uganda confirmed that the caterpillars had attacked crops on farms in about 20 districts in the country, while neighboring Kenya has dispatched a team of scientists and other experts to investigate reports of their appearance, according to the report.

In a statement, Ethiopia’s farming ministry said the pests have so far damaged crops in nearly 10,700 hectares of land in the country’s oromo and southern regions.

The attacks could further affect agricultural output in a country where a drought has left 5.6 million people needing food aid.