UPDATES ON PEST SITUATION AND
PHYTOSANITARY ACTIVITIES IN
AFRICA
JUNE 2014 --MAY 2015.
BY
STELLA ORAKA
CDC/ IPPC REP. FOR AFRICA
Situation reports of spreading invasive
pests of importance
• Locust Emergency Response Programme in
Madagascar: Food security for 13 million at risk
due to locust plague. $28.8 million mobilized,
$10.6 needed to complete campaign by May
2015 and avoid pest resurgence and waste of
applied resources. Cost of ceasing is far greater
than amount spent so far says FAO REP,
Madagascar.
Island also prone to drought and cyclones, may join
locust plague to cause about 40% crop loss.
Globally, Deadly TR4 of Banana
Fusarium in Mozambique
• Tropical Race 4 of Banana Fusarium wilt,
Fusarium oxysporium reported in four countries
in Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America and
poising to spread.
• Commercial variety,Cavadish fallen to disease
which causes wilt and mass die-off.
• International experts recommend 3-prong
strategy viz 1. Prevent future outbreaks, 2.
Manage existing cases 3. Strenghten
international colloboration and coordination.
Globally, Deadly TR4 of Banana
Fusarium in Mozambique (cont’d)
• Considered as top threat to global banana
industry worth $36 billion and source of
income of 400 million people. Disease is also a
grave danger to food security as 85% total
banana production is consumed domestically
• $47 million is estimated by FAO for the control
work.
Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner
• Originates from South America, emerged in
Europe 2006, successfully invaded parts of the
European Union (EU), North Africa and some
west and east African(e.g. Kenya 2014) countries.
Jugding for rate of spread may enter South Africa
by end of 2015.
• Causes yield losses of up to 50% - 100% and can
rapidly develop resistance to pesticides.
• S.A. Plant Protection & DAFF developing early
warning system for pest as part of South African
Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan
Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf
miner(cont’d)
• S.A. Plant Protection & DAFF developing early
warning system for pest as part of South
African Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan.
• Presently the pest is strictly controlled
through quarantine and tomato fruits should
be from green vegetative parts
Potato cyst nematode (Globodera
rostochiensis ) reported in Kenya
• Only control measure is to stop potato
production in infested farms for up to 7 years
but can remain for 30 years.
• Pest originated from Peru, occur in Algeria,
Libya, Tunisia and Morocco (under
quarantines. Controlled in Sierra Leone.
Controls of food security threats and
pests in the Southern Africa
• $4 million fund better management of
transboundary plant and animal pests and
disease has been by African Solidarity fund to
benefit 8 countries viz: Angola, Botwana,
Madagascar, South Africa, Mozambique,
Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe in Southern
Africa.
• An initiative for mobilizing resources ‘from
Africa for Africa’.
Biosecurity Project for ten African
countries – Australian investment
• The Australian International Food Security Research
Centre launched of a two-year, $800,000 initiative for
sub-Saharan Africa to help 10 countries become better
equipped to combat plant biosecurity threats.
• Project covers food safety hazards, animal diseases
and plant pests.
• chief executive of the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative
Research Centre said that " pests and diseases are the
single biggest threat to the quality and safety of
produce in Africa, hinder economic growth and
contribute to poverty.
Biosecurity Project for ten African
countries – Australian investment
(contd)
• Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease, spread
from Asia to Africa.
• In 2003, Bactrocera invadens, a highly destructive
Asian fruit fly pest, was detected in Kenya and has
spread across the continent.
• Tuta absoluta – a tomato pest – was reported for the
first time in Senegal in 2012, and is moving south
through the continent.
• "Maize lethal necrosis virus, another new example, is
causing major crop losses in east. Africa.
• Other invasive pests: Cassava brown streak virus,
banana bunchy top virus, cassava mosaic virus
Biosecurity Project for ten African
countries – Australian investment
(contd)
• Are biosecurity measures getting worse? "Pests
are moving a lot more now, and the preparedness
of countries is weak’’ says experts.
• Plant Biosecurity Capacity Development Initiative
include placements of African specialists in
relevant Australian institutions; workshops in
Africa, mentoring programme and funding to
help participants develop biosecurity action plans
at national and regional level.
Fruitfly control: capacity building
initiatives
• FAO/IAEA Regional Training Course on Fruit Fly
Biocontrol in West Africa. Regional TC Project
RAF5061). 2–6 March 2015, Nairobi, Kenya.
• FAO/IAEA Regional Meeting on SIT Application,
Including Rearing, Irradiation and Release of Fruit
Flies (under TC Project RAF5062). 24–26 June
2015 Reduit, Mauritius.
• Training course in taxonomy and systematics of
Afrcan fruit flies organized by Royal Museum for
Central Africa, Belgium and Sokoine University of
Agriculture, Tanzania from 04-20 May 2015.
Fruitfly control: capacity building
initiatives(contd)
• Zimbabwe Ministry of Agriculture,
Mechanisation and Irrigation Development
and FAO has launched a project to control
fruitfly that will run till December 2015. Banks
and financial institutions were also encourage
to support the initiative in order for the
country to surmount restrictions placed on
fruit and vegetable exports by her trading
partners as result of the pest.
SUCCESS STORIES
• Ethiopia earn $114 million from fruits and vegetable
exports to EU, YEMEN, SOMALIA, DJIBOUTI, SUDAN
AND OTHERS in the first 6 months. It earned $246
million in fiscal year ending july 2014. New investors
come from Netherlands, India, Ecuador and Saudi
Arabia.
• Morocco, not a food insecure country, has avoided
political upheaval arising for Arab Spring, developed
agriculture on two pillars viz: focus on 1.large farms
and 2. small holder and family farming. Economic
growth was 5% in 2011, 4.4 % in 2013.
SUCCESS STORIES(contd)
• West and Central African Council of Agricultural
Research and Development(CORAL/WECARD)
has produced 70 short films with over 8100 views
on You Tube targeted at about 318 million people
of which 70% live in rural areas. Viewer get a
glimpse of the 55 coordinated projects putting
farmers in the centre of the innovative practices
and encourages learning through interchange of
ideas, sucesses, failures between stakehoders.
SUCCESS STORIES(contd)
• Fruit Fly Africa is an industry owned service body created
to plan, co-ordinate and execute area-wide fruit fly control
programmes in South Africa. Area based programmes are
tailor-made for specific production regions and Sterile
Insect Technique (SIT) forms part of the integrated
approach.
• Up to 14 million sterile Medfly males per week are
currently produced at the Medfly mass rearing facility.
• Host plant management, trap setting, monitoring of FF
population, Baiting of non-farm hotspots, releases of
sterile fruit flies , Liaising with national and international
fruit fly and SIT experts