Participants during a tabletop simulation at the Pest Identification Training and Simulation Exercise

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica through the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) at the World Trade Organization (WTO), advance pest management within the hot pepper value chain.

As part of the "Improving the Phytosanitary, Food Safety & Market Access Opportunities along the Hot Pepper Value Chain" project, a Hot Pepper Quarantine Pest Identification Training and field simulation exercise were conducted in [Month]. Targeting 65 agriculture stakeholders, the initiative is a proactive measure aligned with the project's main goal: addressing phytosanitary, food safety, clean seeds production, and export constraints within the agrifood system.

The training, an integral part of the pest emergency response plan, focused on identifying the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), ranked third in priority but chosen for its global significance. The simulation exercise marked a milestone as the first conducted for a viral pest in Jamaica.

Training Objectives:

1. Sensitize technical officers about hot pepper quarantine pests.
2. Raise awareness of the pest emergency response framework.
3. Train 65 technical officers on the identification of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus.

Representatives from key government agencies and agro-input suppliers, including Caribbean Chemicals Jamaica Ltd. and St. Jago Farm & Hardware Supplies Ltd., participated. This collaboration recognizes the critical role these stakeholders play in supporting the farming community.