First tele-conference for national focal points on Fall Armyworm in Near East and North Africa region
The Regional office for Near East and North Africa (RNE) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) organized the first teleconference on Global Action for Fall Armyworm (FAW) Control. The conference aimed to launch the main points to implement the planned activities through the Global Action Programme (2020 – 2022) against FAW. FAW is a major threat to crop production in Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. Since first introduction to the region in Sudan in 2017, the pest has expanded geographic distribution and was reported in Yemen 2018, Egypt in 2019 and Mauritania in 2020. It has a serious effect at socio-economic level by negatively impacting on food security and income of agriculture sector.
The Global Action programme builds on the work and lessons learned from the FAO-FAW Strategic Framework which started in 2017. The Framework established a partnership for the sustainable management of the fall armyworm in Africa, the Near East and Asia-Pacific dealing with FAW management and testing ecosystem-friendly pest management practices, monitoring and early warning systems, innovations, enabling policies and coordination mechanisms. The conference represents the first forum for national focal points to discuss and develop regional programme to tame the global threat of FAW. With attendance of plant protection officers from the regional and sub-regional offices of NENA region, national focal point representing the national governments from 8 countries, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Sultanate of Oman, Kingdom of Arabia Saudi and United Arab Emirates (UAE), representatives from FAO national offices and regional plant protection experts, and Near East Plant Protection Organization NEPPO and Arabic Society of Plant protection.
The conference was a unique opportunity to exchange views and knowledge, coordinate efforts, and work collectively to develop regional strategy within the Global Action for Fall Armyworm (FAW) Control, highlighted by FAO regional Plant protection officer Mr. Thaer Yaseen. During the conference, Mr. Yaseen, presents the main components of the Global Action Programme, the national focal points provided updates on the current situation of infestation and preparedness to prevent and manage the risk of FAW introduction. The national focal point of Oman presented the first finding of FAW in the country, followed by a communication of the presence of FAW in UAE. The official communication from UAE was received soon after the conference.