FAO rolls out Locust Pesticide Management System in Ethiopia to enhance the country’s preparedness
10/06/2024
The FAO’s Locust Pesticide Management System is being implemented in Ethiopia where it is used in the organization and recording data of desert locust pesticide control products and equipment in Kaliti store.
Using the application, the Locust-PMS focal officers can register pesticide products for locust control, track useable and obsolete pesticides and empty containers, and monitor disposal of obsolete pesticides and associated waste, among other tasks.
The skills in using this application were gained following the training supported by FAO aimed at deploying Locust-PMS focal officers to effectively handle pesticide products and prepare complete inventory of control equipment.
Increasing pesticide shelf-life
“The training of Locust-PMS helped us to start investing in storage facilities as it would ensure longevity of desert locust control products. We have assembled all the vehicles we used in the 2019–2022 desert locust campaign and, arranged and labelled pesticide products in Kaliti store. We have sampled pesticides products and submitted for analysis for possible extension of shelf life and eventual triangulation to other countries in need,” said Belayneh Nigussie, Lead Executive, Plant Protection in Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Extending shelf-life of the pesticides means less pesticides are purchased, and there is less disposal of obsolete pesticides. The pesticide shelf-life is the period of time that a pesticide can be stored before it deteriorates.
Ensuring data accuracy
With the support of FAO expert, the Locust-PMS focal officers captured data of all pesticide containers in Locust-PMS database and labelled them with printed plastic QR labels, transferred part of obsolete pesticide products in corroded drums into clean drums, and collected empty drums and crushed drums in one area, leaving Kaliti store compound open and free for decontamination.
Additionally, data of desert locust control products posted in the Locust-PMS database was reviewed to ensure accuracy, and assessed the storage of spray, survey, and safety equipment to ensure proper storage.
The support is provided under the framework of the USAID/BHA funded project "Desert Locust risk reduction in the Central Region and the Horn of Africa (GCP/INT/1032/USA)". Ends