In Tanzania's eastern district of Kilosa, pests have destroyed nearby 17,000 hectares of food and cash crops. (Image Credit: Wikipedia) In Tanzania's eastern district of Kilosa, pests have destroyed nearby 17,000 hectares of food and cash crops. The pest, such as fall armyworms, rats, and quelea birds, have mostly assaulted maize, rice and cotton farms in the district, said Tatu Kachenje, an agricultural officer in Kilosa District. "We are worried that some 27 wards in our district will experience a food shortage in coming months," said Tatu Kachenje. According to Kachenje, 16,531 hectares of maize have been destructed by pests in 20 wards and another 625 hectares of paddy in two other wards. Paddy farms were invaded by quelea birds. A total of 808 hectares of cotton were invaded by Jassid - a sucking pest. The pest injects toxins into leaves while feeding, resulting in abnormal changes in leaves."The early evaluation reports by experts indicate that maize harvests will drop to 100,354 tonnes as a result of the destruction of 16,531 hectares," Kachenje added. "We'll experience a drop of 33,062 tonnes of maize in this harvest season," Kachenje said, adding that pesticides have been distributed to control the insects. The government, in collaboration with stakeholders, has continued to educate farmers on how to identify and control the pests, Kachenje said. The fall armyworm devours everything on its path before turning into a moth. It is native to Central America and was first reported in Nigeria in early 2016. It has since spread to many other African countries, including Tanzania and Kenya.