NAIROBI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- African ministers of agriculture began a two-day meeting Thursday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to discuss ways of controlling the locusts that threaten the region's food security.
The Governing Council of Ministers of the International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa is expected to forge a stronger regional collaboration mechanism for sustainable management of migratory and new emerging pests and diseases in the region.
In his opening remarks, Andrew Karanja, Kenya's cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, called for sustained monitoring, surveillance and information sharing.
"We need to continue pooling resources to facilitate burden sharing, expertise and equipment to promote regional development," Karanja told ministers and experts from East, Central, and Southern Africa.
Migratory pests negatively impact national food security and pull back efforts toward the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger and poverty reduction, Karanja said.
Kenya experienced the worst desert locust invasion in 2019-2021 after a calm period of over 70 years.
The swarms spread in over 28 counties across the country, decimating thousands of hectares of pasture and cropland.
Karanja said efforts need to be undertaken in the detection of pests in natural breeding sites such as game parks and conservancies for quelea birds and African armyworms. He called for intensified research and development focusing on innovations of environmentally friendly biopesticide products that target tree locusts, African migratory locusts, desert locusts and quelea birds. ■
