Alexandria, Egypt - The Fall Armyworm (FAW) is a dangerous insect that causes significant economic losses to maize production in Africa. It recently arrived to the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region and to Egypt. The infestation starts in Upper Egypt and spreads to other production areas in the country.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations “FAO”, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MoALR) in Egypt conducted a training on 6 October 2021 in Alexandria, on the management of FAW. This is one of several trainings that were held in Luxor, Aswan, and Sohag; followed by Ismailia, Monufia, and in the last few days in Kafr El Sheikh on 2 October 2021.

The training targeted inspectors, farmers, entomologists and researchers that work in the field of maize production areas in Egypt. The training format was split into lectures and a field visit. A total of 351 persons were trained on how to identify the pest in the field and how to apply integrated pest management strategies to prevent the pest from spreading. In this regard, trainees are expected to transfer the acquired knowledge about the pest to other stakeholders.