Son La province, Viet Nam. FAO is building the capacity of local farmers to combat a key pest threat and safeguard crops in the northern provinces of Viet Nam.

Through co-organizing a training of trainers (ToTs) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Protection Department, participants are now better equipped to counter the spread of Fall armyworm (FAW), particularly in maize crops, in northern provinces in a safe and effective manner.

With technical assistance from FAO, specifically a Senior Agricultural Officer from the FAO Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok, more than 30 provincial staff specialized in crop production and plant protection took part in the training, with the knowledge gained to help inform the development of six Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for training local farmers in other northern provinces aside from Son La.

The ToT is also another step towards developing technical solutions for sustainable pest management of maize in general and FAW in particular, with local field trials to select optimal options to reflect local contexts.

“This training is important as participants will serve as resource focal points and have cascading effects and synergies in the ongoing programme to contribute to food production, sustainable management of invasive pests, and reduction of the reliance on chemical pesticides,” said Yubak Dhoj, FAO Regional Office Senior Agriculture Officer.

The ToT is part of Viet Nam’s membership of a regional FAW control network formed by FAO, which has a key focus on capacity building of agricultural officers and farmers' organizations to respond to the early arrival and preparedness of the pest. In particular, cultivation habits of farmers are examined to avoid incorrect usage of chemical pesticides in the field. To ensure a sustainable approach to countering the pest, the FFS model is used to promote nature-friendly farming techniques.

To help understand these local contexts, the PPD leaders, FAO experts and participants visited maize fields in Son La province’s Moc Chau district for a first-hand look at the damage caused by FAW since its arrival in Viet Nam in 2019. The pest, since its arrival in Asia from Africa and the Americas region, has become economically damaging to major cereal crops – particularly maize.

In response, FAO has been working with the Government of Viet Nam through a Technical Cooperation Programme on a range of initiatives, including a monitoring tool known as FAW Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS). The PPD also formed a National Task Force on FAW control and launched different activities in the field.

Viet Nam is also a pilot country for Global Action on FAW control (2020-2023) and in addition to this field programme, the country is supporting regional initiatives such as the Regional IPM Package on FAW and ASEAN Action Plan on FAW.