Worst fall armyworm incursion on record costing farmers millions
Farmers are grappling with the most damaging incursion of fall armyworm (FAW) on record, and have likened the destruction to that caused by a bushfire. "Our area was hit pretty heavily with bushfires this season and a lot of the farmers are describing this [as] identical to a bushfire," Queensland grower Cameron Rackemann said.
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Experts say the invasive insect, which originated in the Americas and reached Australia in 2020, is being detected at unprecedented levels in grain crops across Queensland and northern New South Wales. The 2023-24 summer sorghum crop, worth an estimated $1.5 billion, has been most affected, but other crops are also being targeted.
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Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) principal entomologist Melina Miles said it was the most damaging season since 2020. "This year it's very widespread," Dr Miles said.
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"There's lots of work to be done, but we're certainly in a much better position in terms of growers having management strategies to put in place now than we were in 2020. "To some extent, I'm optimistic that what we're seeing is not the start of what fall armyworm pressure will be like going forward, but an outbreak year where it's been an early start to the [FAW] season."
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