Report from missionary in Kenya, Phyllis Byrd

Crops are being attacked by worms on farms in Eastern and Central Kenya. The worms were first reported three weeks ago in Kirinyaga District. This is the district located in Central Province a lot of the rice crop is grown in this area. The worms have since spread to fifteen other districts. They are attacking the grass family including maze, rice, sorghum and millet. The situation looks bleak for pastoralists in the arid districts of Eastern Providence because the worms are destroying pasture for livestock. They say that the worms are seemly resisting the insecticides that being sprayed on the crops. The country has not revealed the extent of the damage but the Red Cross estimates that 70% of the crops in the upper Eastern province has been destroyed.

This is coming at a very difficult time in the county because of the post election violence many farmers were displaced from their land or their workers were displaced therefore they were not able to plant in time to catch the rains. The price of food has escalated at an unbelievable rate in Kenya.