Aswan, Egypt – The Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations “FAO” regional programme on Red Palm Weevil (RPW) eradication in the Near East and North Africa extends will host the meeting of the RPW Project steering committee (SC). The meeting will be held in Aswan, Egypt from 23-24 November 2022 with will be attended by members of the steering committee, technical and advisory committee, leaders of the Technical Working Groups, and leaders of the LOA agreements under the RPW project. The meeting will review and evaluate the progress of the programme, assess the development of the RPW situation and the efficiency of the programmes at the regional level and it will discuss the activities undertaken and the coordination of project partners' upcoming activities.

The SC meetings coincide with a Farmer Field Schools (FFS) workshop on training of trainers and facilitators organized by the FAO RPW project, on date palm pests, focusing on the management of the RPW. The FFS workshop will be held in Aswan, from 19-24 November with the participation of North African member countries (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia) and experts in areas of RPW, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and FFS from FAO and other international experts. FAO RPW eradication programme is supporting the implementation of Farmer Field Schools, in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance the participation of farmers in IPM of the RPW.

The FAO regional programme on RPW eradication addresses the gaps in RPW management in three main thematic areas: research, technology transfer, and capacity building. FAO is leading projects in areas of RPW monitoring and early detection, farmer participation and control technologies, socio-economic impact, phytosanitary systems, border protocols, and production of certified palm material.

Photos Album