49 thousand tons of maize have already been lost in Mozambique

About 49 thousand tons of maize have already been lost in Mozambique due to the plague of the fall armyworm (LFM), according to data from the National Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry.

Speaking at a seminar on management and control of the fall armyworm (FAW) held in Maputo, the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Mozambique, Olman Serrano, said that "FAO will continue to give its support and technical assistance always seeking to bring global knowledge and experience for adaptation to the local level, advising the government on more appropriate sustainable measures."

The two-day seminar, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MASA) in coordination with FAO and the Brazilian Cooperation Association, aimed to ensure that phytosanitary and agrarian technicians, technology officers and other actors involved in maize production, acquire basic knowledge for the identification, monitoring, management and control of FAW.
The National Director of Agriculture and Forestry, Pedro Dzucule, said that the recent introduction of the FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda in Mozambique might compromise food security if management and control measures are not implemented in an effective and timely manner.

Pedro Dzucule emphasized in his intervention the importance of the use of environmentally friendly pesticides in order to preserve biodiversity and that do not threaten public health.

Around 120 people, including MASA technicians, research institutions, academics, producers, community leaders, NGOs, FAO experts and representatives from countries as Brazil, Angola, Cabo-Verde and Sao Tome and Principe participated in the event, sharing their experience in plague management and control.

After two days, the interaction between the various countries represented at the seminar allowed the exchange of experiences on the different methods of management and control of the FAW and the increase of awareness about the adoption of Fungal Caterpillar methods sustainable production of corn.

Mozambique identified the plague in February 2017 and, for its containment, FAO trained national trainers in the plague control, produced and disseminated technical materials for the plague identification. Additionally, a manual for the Farmer Field Schools was developed for the implementation of complementary measures for sustainable management of the pest.

FAO also create a new monitoring and control system warning of the pest known as FAMEWS, to support field technicians and farmers to assess the impact of the plague.