Sena caterpillar menace hits eight provinces

COLOMBO (News1st): The Fall Army Worm, locally dubbed the Sena caterpillar, that has threatened the existence of cultivations in the country has spread across eight provinces. The caterpillar that initially invaded corn fields has now destroyed pumpkin, bean and radish cultivations as well. "We have pawned our jewellery and cultivated across 5 acres of land. How can we repay our debt?" one farmer queried. The infestation of the Brown Hopper Pest in 1972 was resolved by the then government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike despite the lack of advanced technology. "The Sena caterpillar menace is similar to the insect infestation that we faced in 1972," another farmer pointed out. He insisted that the latest problem can be resolved with the use of latest technology.