The MAAIF-CABI Plant Health Collaboration
Brief Background on Pest Control in Uganda
Considerable progress has been made through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in developing policies on pest and disease control resulting in improved control of pests, vectors and diseases.
Today, the country has updated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for outbreak-related communication in the Animal sub-sector and Crop sub-sector. These SOP's are regularly reviewed, updated and popularised amongst Agricultural Extension Workers through the quarterly trainings.
Through the Ministry's Department of Crop Protection in the Directorate of Crop Resources, continuous forecasting of Crop Pest and Disease Trends for purposes of ensuring preparedness. The Department also handles reinforcement of capacity of the MAAIF laboratory technicians to handle diagnosis of pests and diseases.
The Ministry has also worked with partners on a robust post-entry quarantine regime to handle dangerous pests, diseases and weeds. This was established at various border posts. These interventions have ensured commendable progress in the control of pests like the Fall Army Worm, the tsetse flies and diseases like the Banana Bacterial Wilt Disease.
A statutory instrument for identification and traceability as well as identification and traceability guidelines are also in place.
To ensure that exporters are enabled to understand the requirements of the local, regional and international market pre-audit checklists are also made available through the Directorate of Crop Resources.
Copies are downloadable from this website:
- Audit Checklist for Production and Transportation of Plants and Plant Products Intended for Export
- Audit Checklist for Fruit and Vegetable Pack Houses
The MAAIF-CABI Collaboration
Uganda is one of the countries signed up in a global collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI).
The online systems adopted by the countries enable the Crop Protection experts to not only provide country-level data but also to acquire information on trends and management of pests.
The interactive Plantwise Knowledge Bank is used by the Districts with coordination from the Crop Protection Department.
The information in text, pictorial and video format also helps these experts to make consultations while making diagnosis in the field to ably tell which pest has been reported by the farmers.
Using this platform, one can search for specific pests or search for a specific crop to view all types of known pests attack that crop and how they can be avoided, controlled or managed.
On quarterly basis, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries undertakes training of District Extension Officers, Agricultural Officers and Plant Doctors (See previous Plant Clinic Posts) on this system among others.
This improves capacity to diagnose and ably report pest outbreaks to the Ministry for strategic action to be taken.
This is one of the tools Ugandan scientists are using due to the collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI).
To visit the CABI Plantwise Knowledge Bank. click on the image below
