Rootworm damages corn in Maliq/ Farmers seek help: We have lost our entire production

2026-06-29 09:21:00, Qyteti im CNA

Rootworm damages corn in Maliq/ Farmers seek help: We have lost our entire

Farmers in the Drithasi area of ??Maliq are facing another blow to their corn crop. After the floods of the past months, dozens of hectares of land have been affected by a pest known as the "root worm", causing plants to wither and produce to be lost. In the plots of farmer Petrit Ymeri, the damage is visible.

Of the 9 hectares of corn planted, he says that more than 70% of the area has been damaged, while the investment he made risks being completely lost.

" These are situations that have been recurring for about 6-7 years. Once due to drought, once due to excessive humidity. This year a worm entered, because the soil was flooded and got a serious infection. It has eaten the roots of the corn and now it falls, dries up, and does not produce ears. It is all over. I have 9 hectares. The cost is about 13-14 million lek. The damage so far is estimated at over 70%. We have also notified the agricultural structures, they came and saw, but there is not much possibility to fight it. We are asking for help from the state, to tell us what to use and how to act ," said the farmer.

Ymeri says that the floods have created conditions for the development of infections in the soil. Due to the long standing of water, the surfaces have not had the necessary time to dry and prepare before planting.

" The land had to be worked and left for a while, to get some sun. We harvested it in April because it had been flooded, the corn rotted and the infection remained inside. Then within a few days, plowing, milling and planting were done. There will inevitably be these problems ," said Ymeri.

The same situation is for other farmers in this area. Farmer Bike Ymeri says she has planted about 17 dunams of corn, but this year she does not expect to receive a harvest.

" The worm has fallen. This year we will not get any production, see for yourself how it is. I think the damage came from the flood and the canals. It has not happened before. We have had flies before, we have treated it with medicine, but we have not had such cases. This is our income. My son has four children, we support our family here. I am 77 years old and I have worked all my life. How can I not regret my labor ," said the farmer.

The agricultural structures in the Maliq Municipality report that about 50 hectares have been affected by this pest. According to specialists, it is a focus that appears periodically, about once every four years, while the damage caused to the plant is irreversible. Specialists explain that the larva damages the root system of the corn and then passes into the butterfly stage, causing damage to the upper part of the plant.

The fight against this pest requires intervention with special preparations, with one of the most efficient ways being the use of drones to distribute the medicine to plots where machinery cannot enter.

According to them, the cost of drone intervention is around 650 lekë per dunym. Maliq farmers are seeking concrete intervention and support, as this is another loss after the damage caused by the floods. For many of them, corn is the main source of income and food for their families, while a lost season translates into major economic difficulties./CNA