Farmers being sensitized on how to identify and control FAW at a village meeting Photo credit: ©FAO/Mustapha Ceesay

30th January, Banjul, The Gambia - The Plant Protection Services (PPS) of the Department of Agriculture in close partnership the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) with support from The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is stepping up efforts aimed at combating the threat of the Fall Armyworm (FAW) in The Gambia. The FAW which is native to the south Americas emerged in Africa in 2016. It feeds on more than 80 crops species, but has a preference for maize which is an important crop in Africa. Since the discovery of the alien pest in The Gambia during the second quarter of 2017, FAO has been supporting the Ministry of Agriculture in numerous ways with a view to mitigate the impact of the insect pest on food security and national development. About one tenth of The Gambia`s population of about 1.9 million is food insecure and nearly 1 in 3 Gambians are vulnerable to food insecurity, according to the 2013 National Demographic Household Survey.

 Through funding from an FAO Communication Grant and a Technical Cooperation Programme on the Surveillance and Rapid Intervention for the Management of FAW, nationwide FAW sensitization campaigns are being undertaken to raise the awareness of farmers, Extension agents, researchers, local government authorities, the media, policy-makers, and the general public on how to effectively respond to the FAW menace. These interventions complement ongoing efforts to promote the adoption of best practices for Fall Armyworm Management in Africa across the country in the quest to achieve both sustainable intensification of crop production and pesticide risk reduction. 

 The activities kicked off on 23^rd December 2017 with a one-day sensitization workshop attended by over 70 participants including parliamentarians, journalists and farmers. The meeting provided the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO an opportunity to inform parliamentarians and other participants of the challenges posed by the FAW infestations towards the attainment of national food security and development targets. The forum accorded the PPS the opportunity to brief lawmakers on the mandate and activities of the PPS as well as constraints they are currently encountering. The PPS took the opportunity to advocate for the enactment of the Plant Health Bill. 

Honourable Omar A Jallow, Minister for Agriculture, in a statement read on his behalf by the Director General Department of Agriculture Mr. Sariyang Jobarteh during the opening ceremony, described the FAW as one of the major challenges currently facing farmers. He explained that combating the FAW is a difficult task and called on everyone to contribute towards the fight against the pest. Minister Jallow acknowledged FAO`s support in the fight against the pest. He said the government would continue to partner with FAO and other relevant stakeholders to adopt best strategies and policies to control the pest.

In a statement delivered on behalf of Dr. Perpetua Katepa-Kalala, FAO Country Representative, the need for concerted efforts to adequately manage the FAW was reiterated. She called on farmers to work more closely with the agriculture Extension agents as well as adopt integrated pest management practices to minimize the impact of the pest. Honourable Omar Darboe, National Assembly Member for Upper Nuimi Constituency, said that the threat posed by the FAW to food security in The Gambia and beyond its borders is alarming. He emphasized the need for massive awareness raising on the pest. Honourable Omar Ceesay, National Assembly Member for Niamina East Constituency, assured the public of the lawmakers’ full support in the fight against the FAW.

The one-day sensitization workshop was followed by six-day nationwide town hall meeting programme. Series of meetings were conducted at community level in January 2018. Information leaflets, posters and T-Shirts with succinct messages on how to identify and control the FAW were distributed to the farmers, local authorities and agricultural Extension staff. Panel discussions were also conducted in major community radios in the administrative regions visited. The nationwide town hall meetings were captured and reported on in national radio and television and three newspapers. More radio and television panel discussions will be conducted in February and March to further strengthen national awareness on the FAW.

Ongoing efforts to fight the FAW in The Gambia

The Plant Protection Service of the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture is currently implementing a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) with support from FAO to sustainably manage the Fall Armyworm in The Gambia. The intervention is complemented by other FAO projects in The Gambia including the European Union funded project entitled “Post Crisis-Response to Food Insecurity and Nutrition in The Gambia” and other Government projects under the Ministry of Agriculture. Their efforts include capacity building of Extension agents and farmers across the country on Integrated Pest Management with a view to minimize the use of pesticides to produce healthy crops and better yields. The projects aim to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition and make agriculture more productive and sustainable.