New caterpillar plague hits Liberia, spreads to Ivory Coast

Yahoo News 18 Feb 09;

MONROVIA (AFP) – Liberia has been hit by an invasion of so far unidentified caterpillars while another species, which has attacked crops in several areas, has now crossed over into neighbouring Ivory Coast.

"On Friday ... we got information that there was an invasion of caterpillars in the Margibi County area. We know that is not the same species that was found in Bong, Gbarpolu, Nimba and part of Lofa," Agriculture minister Christopher Toe told a press conference late Tuesday.

"Our task force, our crop protection people, are now on the ground addressing this particular issue," Toe said

It will take some time to identify the new species. According to experts, the new pests are white and black while the caterpillars which attacked the Bong, Gbarpolu, Nimba and Lofa regions were black and yellow.

The first wave of crop destroying caterpillars was identified earlier this month as Achaea Catocaloides, a very destructive pest that attacks a wide range of crops including coffee and cocoa, key cash earners.

A representative from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation FAPO told the press conference that he had received reports that the Achaea Catocaloides caterpillars had crossed into Ivory Coast.

"I received this report that they indeed found the same caterpillars. They found them in the cacao and coffee farms," FAO representative Winfred Hammond said.

Experts warn that the caterpillars could do devastating damage to Ivory Coast's cocoa and coffee crops. Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer and many of its plantations are in the west of the country bordering Liberia.

Toe said the areas first affected in Liberia by the caterpillars are still suffering from the after effects.

"The problem that we face has implication beyond agriculture," Toe warned. "Damage for example to food crops now could lead to food insecurity in the future as well as to loss of revenue and income."

He added that the community was also facing health issues as water sources were being polluted by the caterpillars' droppings and by dead caterpillars.

The local population has been warned not to drink affected water.

Over a hundred Liberian villages have so far been affected by the plague and authorities warn that hundreds of thousands of people could face hunger because the caterpillars have devoured all the crops.

Liberia has declared a state of emergency and called on the international community to help it deal with the plague, which has also spread to parts of Guinea and threatens Sierra Leone's border region with Liberia.