Deadly Maize Disease Threatens Food Supplies in Kenya

Maize ពោត                             Reported រាយការណ៍                          Dry up ស្ងួត

Spreading រាលដាល                           Study ការសិក្សា                                                      Ruined ខូចខាត

Effect ផលប៉ះពាល់                 Treat ព្យាលបាល                    Has no idea of មិនដឹងថា

Investigating ស៊ើបអង្កេត          Insect សត្វល្អិត         Crop rotation ការដាំដំណាំឆ្លាស់គ្នា

Suspect សង្ស័យ               Calling on អំពាវនាវ                 Livestock បសុសត្វ

Concerned មានកង្វល់                   Stable food អាហារសំខាន់

Officials in Kenya are fighting a deadly disease attacking maize crops. Some Kenya farmers say the disease has reduced crop production by as much as 60 percent. Last September, farmers in Bomet reported that a disease was destroying their maize or corn. The disease is called “maize lethal necrosis.” It makes the plant turn yellow and dry up. By January, researchers found the disease was spreading across the country’s south and into central and eastern Kenya. Paul Omanga is a crop production officer with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. He says a study in July found that maize lethal necrosis had affected more than 64,000 hectares. Up to 80 of the crop was ruined. The FAO official warned that if the disease is not controlled, it would have a major effect on maize production in Kenya.

Muo Kasina is a researcher with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. He is working with others to fight the disease. But he says there is no known way to treat it. Muo Kasina says the problem is that Kenyans do not have any experience with the disease. He says he has no idea of what to expect in the future.

Researchers are investigating whether maize lethal necrosis is spread by insects or in seeds. When they know that, they may be better able to fight it. There are some things farmers can do. The FAO’s Paul Omanga says he and others are telling farmers about the importance of crop rotation. That means planting different crops on the same field from year to year. But he says farmers must take more extreme action if they suspect the disease has infected their crop.

Paul Omanga is calling on farmer to destroy all maize plants in fields that are infected. He says farmers can burn the plants or use them as animal feed. He says stems and leaves are all fit for livestock. But he warned that infected plants should not be left in the field because the virus will remain to infect next crop.

Paul Omanga says he is concerned about Kenya’s food stability. “This is causing some concern,” he says.” Because maize is the stable food and any threat to maize production is a thread to food security in Kenya.”

America’s Agency for International Development says the poorest Kenyan spend 28 percent of what they earn on maize.     

VOA Learning English for VOA Special English 
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