Southern Africans consumes more than a fifth of the world’s maize output.

It’s like telling Italians to stop eating pasta.

But Zambia’s vice president Inonge Wina insists the staple in Southern African countries should be ditched in favour of more nutritious foods.

Her country and many of its neighbors are in the grip of drought that has severely reduced maize production.

The climate-change related crises has led to 1,7 million Zambians – that’s 18 per cent of the population – suffering severe food insecurity.

The UN-linked Relief Web says 40 percent of  Zambian children under five years are stunted.

Wina advises Zambians to eat more millet, sorghum, cassava and sweet potatoes

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He’s called on the air force to counter the worm invasion in fields of mielies which is the nation’s staple food.

Army worms eat most vegetation they encounter and can destroy entire fields of crops.

In Zambia they’ve been wreaking havoc in six of the country’s ten states.

The Zambian air force has been ordered to fly pesticides to the worst hit areas so crops can be sprayed.

Spokesman Amos Chanda says President Edgar Lungu fear the crop yield for the forthcoming harvest can be seriously affected.

four years ago, army worms  destroyed mielies, cassava, sorghum and rice fields.

After good rainfall and early delivery of seed and fertilizer, Zambia was expecting a good crop.

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