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Strengthening Capacities for the Prevention of Fall Armyworm (FAW) in Eritrea - TCP/ERI/3610

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 9

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Pest and disease outbreaks threaten to harm crop production and pastures Eritrea, where approximately 75 percent of the population relies on agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing for their livelihood. The country has dealt with many migratory pests in the past, including the African Armyworm, locusts, and grain-eating birds, all of which have caused significant yield and pasture losses. In 2016, the Fall Armyworm (FAW) appeared in Africa, and it rapidly spread to 32 different countries on the continent. When FAW outbreaks were reported in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and neighboring Ethiopia, concern regarding the spread of the pest to Eritrea grew, owing to the fact that it has the same agro-ecological conditions as these other countries. The FAW attacks many of Eritrea’s major crops, including maize, millet, sorghum, barley and wheat. Outbreaks of FAW can result in grain losses of between 25 and 75 percent, and they can damage vast rangelands for livestock production. Because the FAW presents such a serious threat to food security, economic activity and livelihoods, this project was designed to mitigate its effects through the strengthening of capacities to detect, manage and control the pest in Eritrea. It is important to note that during project formulation, the FAW had not yet arrived in Eritrea; therefore, the main focus of the project design was prevention. That said, the pest was detected in the country in 2018, but it was successfully managed thanks to the interventions of this project.

Language English

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