Drought-hit Malawi farmers use sugar, fish soup to battle pests

DEDZA, Malawi - Armed with fish soup and neem leaves, as well as chemical pesticides, Malawi's drought-hit farmers are fighting a caterpillar that is devouring their crops and putting them at risk of hunger.

The fall armyworm, an invasive Latin American species that is harder to detect and eradicate than its African counterpart, has attacked maize plants covering one fifth of Malawi's arable land, according to the Malawi's Ministry of Agriculture.

Researchers and farmers are fighting back with both imported and local approaches, while also attempting to combat the effects of a prolonged dry spell.