UPDATE OF PHYTOSANITARY SITUATION IN AFRICA FOR CDC MEETING

UPDATE OF PHYTOSANITARY SITUATION IN AFRICA FOR CDC MEETING SOUTH KOREA MAY 2016 Ms STELLA ORAKA REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFRICA

Introduction Countries in Africa have been watching helplessly as million dollar worth of agricultural products are lost to destructive pests /diseases in most cases no confirmed remedy has been offered. Some of these pests ,eg tomato pest, Tuta Absoluta which has been referred to as Al-shabaab by agricultural experts. Other plant pests are Banana Bunchy top, Coconut lethal yellowing disease, weed invading plants, or serious weed pests, and others. The good news is that these problems have been identified and solutions are being worked on.

Adult moth & larva of T. Absoluta

Damage of calyx by T. Absoluta

Tuta Absoluta in Africa KENYA: Tuta Absoluta ,nicknamed the tomato ‘Alshabaab’ by agricultural experts, because of its unimaginable loss in its wake. Found in Isiolo in 2014 Up to 90% tomato crop loss reported and an Ag. researcher referred it as an absolute nightmare Some predict that Kenyans might soon start buying tomatoes at very high prices. the effectiveness of chemical control is limited due to insect’s nature of damage and its rapid development of insecticide resistant strains

Tuta Absoluta in Africa (Contd) Kenya has embarked on elaborate trapping program and pest management that includes: integrated pest management- use of traps, introduction of biological control agents and imposition of quarantine in affected areas.

Tuta Absoluta in Africa (Contd) Nigeria: Farmers refer to T. Absoluta as ‘Tomato Ebola’. Consumers of fresh tomatoes are switching to pastes, as ravaging insect pest has destroyed about 40 percent of anticipated harvest, causing scarcity and up to 105% rise in prices of fresh tomato fruits. Affected farmlands is in the north, the country’s predominant tomato production areas. Supplies from neighbouring countries have been resorted to, yet demand cannot be met.

Spread of T. Absoluta in Africa

Spread of Southern Africa

CLIMEX- a Software to predict spread of Tuta Absoluta A team of Virginia Tech, USA researchers to apply new computer methods of modeling and simulation, previously used in infectious disease research to halt their spread insect pest. CLIMEX, a software modeling program is normaly used to estimate the geographical distribution of an insect, and insect life tables and analysis of an insect’s life cycle. Introducing human movement into the equation is a new angle to modelling and simulation. It can be applied to any agricultural invasive species.

Banana Diseases West Africa

Banana Bunchy top Burundy

Banana Diseases UGANDA: GM banana with improved resistance to a black sigatoga disease, Mycosphaerella fijiensis, proved promising in confined field trials. Building Research Capacity "[The project] is a stepping stone for subsequent breeding programs and genetic engineering programmes. We can now do transformations of other varieties of bananas and other crop species," said Settumba Mukasa, banana expert

Banana Diseases require global map-urges FAO 4 Banana Diseses: Bunchy top disease and banana bacterial wilt threaten the food security of 70 million & black leaf streak and says FAO in 4th Session of Sub-Group on Bananas, Rome. Required Activities for the Map: Locate banana and plantain production areas, define diseases , systematically sample crops for the diseases or use existing information. monitoring spread to non-affected areas and creating buffer zones.

Banana Diseases require global map-urges FAO ( contd) Efforts to conserve the genetic diversity of bananas: The consevation centre set up under an agreement signed by Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). The university’s expertise in freezing plant material without damaging it recognized and the basis for agreement. In the 1950s, Gros Michel wiped out, replaced by Cavendish, also under threat by a new strain fungal disease.

Parthenium hysterophorus, a weed invading Ethiopia

Emerging pests and food security ETHIOPIA:Invasive weed Parthenium hysterophorus compounds drought and famine situation. One of world’s worst weeds entered East Africa from Americas in 1970s. Called “Faramsissa,” meaning “sign your land away.” 3 Biocontrol agents:leaf-feeding beetle Zygogramma, stem-boring weevil Listronotus, and beetle Smicronyx are to be released to control the weed. Over next 5 years project will be scaled up and biocontrols agents also released in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Recent Workshops on pest control and evaluation in Africa 3RD Meeting of the Tephritid Workers of Europe, Africa and the Middle East (TEAM), 11 – 14 April 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Standardizing Sampling and Bioassay Methods for Assessing Field Performance of Sterile Male Lepidoptera, 2 – 3 July 2016, Durban, South Africa. Dormancy Management to Enable Insect Mass-rearing, 15 – 17 April 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Recent Workshops on pest control and evaluation in Africa FAO/IAEA First Coordination Meeting of Regional Project Enhancing Capacity for Detection, Surveillance and Suppression of Exotic and Established Fruit Fly Species through Integration of Sterile Insect Technique with Other Suppression Methods (under Regional TC Project RAF5074), 11 – 15 July, 2016, Maputo, Mozambique

Coconut lethal yellowing Outbreak

Coconut lethal yellowing Outbreak CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Coconut lethal yellowing- caused by a phytoplasma (bacteria without a cell wall), attacks and destroys leafy canopy of coconut palms leaving behind decapitated trunks. Spread by sucking insects. Already killed millions of coconut palms in Ghana and Tanzania is now strongly expanding in Côte d'Ivoire. Destroyed hundreds of hectares of coconut plantations, threatening the livelihoods of farmers and causing social troubles.

Pest Control measures to resolve trade restrictions Fruitfly on mango fruit, Kenya: Mango farmers optimistic 5-year ban by EU due to use dimethoate and fruit flies may be lifted due to successful insect trapping. Using traps provided by Kenya Plant Health Inspection Services caused a drastic drop in fruitfly population in target areas. 600 insects trapped per week dropped to two or none per month says Linah Kemboi, Chemurgui.

Pest Control measures to resolve trade restrictions (Contd) Vegetables, Ghana: CABI launched a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with GAVEX – a vegetable export association, to remove EU trade restictions on horticulture export. CABI works with the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Division to strengthen the enforcement of government regulations, technical expertise on food safety and phytosanitary standards, proper use of agricultural inputs, like seeds and pesticides, and good agricultural practices and business conduct. 3,500 farmers supply GAVEX, benefits from partnership

Pest Control measures to resolve trade restrictions (Contd) Cowpea, Nigeria: Training by EU on GAP

A number of Nigerian productive sectors face quality issues Farmers, traders, wholesalers and exporters employ chemical treatments without any coordination, high contents of pesticide residues, very often multiple times the maximum residue limits Furthermore, some of the pesticides used in Nigeria are challenged for potentially causing cancer Exports of dried beans to EU suspended until June 2016

Areas requiring strengthening Coordination Quality management, hazard control and record keeping Cooperation Cooperatives for joint investment and improved quality management Communication Motivation for change Good practice Export issues Farmer information

Case studies in 4 agricultural chains Value chain analysis Stakeholder consultation Incorporatio n into NQI

Resource persons from EU and participants

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