ADDIS ABABA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources revealed on Wednesday that it is currently treating some 18,000 hectares of maize production from the fall armyworm.

Tewabe Chane, communication expert at the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the fall armyworm, which was first spotted in Ethiopia in late February last year, has currently stretched its presence into seven maize harvesting regions of the east African country.

According to Chane, more than 130,000 hectares of land is presently covered by maize production in the seven maize producing regions of the East African country, mainly through irrigation schemes.

The fall armyworm was spotted in 18,000 hectares of the total 130,000 hectares of production, Chane said.

Chane further noted that the Ministry, in its response to the pest, was able to treat more than 7,000 hectares of maize production together with its partners, while the remaining 11,000 hectares of the production is currently under treatment as the pest was spotted recently.

According to Chane, even though more than 80 varieties of cereals and other plants are vulnerable to the fall armyworm, the pest has not been so far spotted in any other cereals other than maize in Ethiopia.

The ministry has previously told Xinhua that 617,056 hectares of maize production was saved from the armyworm during Ethiopia's main harvesting season as of March last year.

Currently dealing with the fall armyworm's impact in the country's second harvesting season, the ministry asserted that the nature of the insect and its unknown character in the East African region has made the fight against the pest difficult.

Fall armyworm, the larva of night-flying moth, is a pest indigenous to the Americas. It was first detected in Africa in 2016 in Nigeria, South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Benin, and Togo.