Fall armyworm spreading through Taiwan

The crop-eating fall armyworm, first detected in Taiwan on June 10, is spreading through the country.

18 counties and cities across the country have detected it, as of June 18.

An emergency response team has been set up to enforce preventive measures in the affected areas, including mandatory pesticide spraying and field control, Xinhua reports.

This is the first time the fall armyworm has been detected in Taiwan.

Quarantine officials suspect that adult moths of the fall armyworm may have been carried from southern China by the seasonal southwesterly airstream.

Armyworm invaded Africa in 2016 and spread to India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and some other Asian nations in 2018, leading to 20 – 30% reduction in corn and sugarcane output in parts of Africa and Asia.