Nigeria, FAO sign agreement to curtail Fall Armyworm infestation

The Federal Government has signed a Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations as part of enhanced joint effort to manage the spread of the Fall Armyworm (FAW) across the country.
 
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva
Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Suffyan Koroma, FAO Country Representative to Nigeria, both signed the Technical Cooperation agreement at a ceremony in Abuja recently.

Speaking on the agreement, Ogbeh emphasized on the need to build the capacity of countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region for effective management of the pests.

"If we do not contain the FAW infestations, it is likely to compromise our agriculture efforts in this country. I want to make a passionate appeal to all agencies especially FAO to be on the standby and come to our rescue", he added.

He noted that the attack on crops contributed to importation of maize, causing anxiety among farmers and a severe rise in the market prices, adding that steps have to be taken to curb the pest and other crop diseases.

On his part, Koroma said the agreement demonstrates the Nigerian government's commitment and serves as an incentive for farmers to know that appropriate action was being taken to ease the damage to crops and loss of income.


"Unguided use of pesticides may not only result in environmental contamination, it can also increase the cost of production through frequent costly spraying, which poses a real challenge to sustainable and profitable production of maize among small holder farmers', he noted.

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