Zambia's President, Edgar Lungu has called on the air force through his spokesman, Amos Chanda to help curtail an invasion of army worms in maize fields.

Ceoafrica gathered that military planes are flying pesticides to the worst-affected areas so that crops can be sprayed as a matter of urgency.

The pests are called army worms because they eat most vegetation in their way and can destroy entire fields.

They are devouring crops in six of the southern African state's 10 provinces.

"The president is concerned that if the outbreak of the worms is not controlled speedily, the crop yield for 2016/2017 may be negatively affected," Mr Chanda said in a statement.

Four years ago, army worms destroyed maize which is the staple diet in Zambia, cassava, sorghum and rice fields.

Production rose to 2.87 million tonnes in the 2015/2016 crop season from 2.6 million tonnes the previous season because of good rainfall and early delivery of fertilizers and seeds to farmers.