The outbreak of the devastating Fall Armyworm is currently confined in the Nadi area, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) has said.
It was first detected on a maize farm in Uciwai, Nadi on April 23.
Since then 17 incident management were deployed nationwide to undertake a delimiting survey.
1437 site inspections were carried out across Fiji and through the survey, all infestations have been recorded only on the maize plantation.
“All fields that have been recorded for FAW infestation have been treated with insecticides and treatments have been repeated two to three times,” said Chief Plant Protection Officer for BAF, Nitesh Dutt.
“The insecticides namely Malathion, Bifenthrin, Spinosad and Methate are sprayed on a rotational basis to avoid any build-up of resistance.”
“This invasive pest poses a significant threat to agriculture, particularly affecting crops like maize at this particular point in time.”
Ministry of Agriculture’s Director of Research, Dr. Shalendra Prasad is advising farmers, especially those cultivating maize, to monitor crops for signs of Fall Armyworm infestation.
“Early detection and prompt action can help mitigate damage.”
The public can assist by reporting any suspected sightings to local authorities and adhering to biosecurity guidelines.”
Fall Armyworm is present in the region in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tonga and now in Fiji.
