ACDI/VOCA hosted a webinar last month about fall armyworm and its impact on crops throughout Africa.
The invasive species, native to the Americas, has been identified in over 30 countries in Africa. Capable of feeding on over 80 different crop species, the pest threatens the food security of farmers and their families throughout Africa.
Based on surveys in Ghana and Zambia, fall armyworm has the potential to result in the loss of between 8.3 and 20.6 million metric tons of maize annually, which would represent a total economic loss of between $2.5 billion and $6.2 billion among 12 major maize-producing countries in Africa.
Facilitated by ACDI/VOCA Senior Technical Advisor Daniel White, the webinar featured USAID’s Ghana Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement II Activity Chief of Party Emmanuel Dormon, Mediae Company Head of Productions Patricia Gichinga, and Feed the Future Tanzania Nafaka II Component Lead Silvanus Mruma.
Webinar participants discussed the impact of fall armyworm since it was first identified in Ghana in 2016, the pros and cons of pesticide use, the benefits of intercropping to combat the pest, and how to equip call centers to provide information to farmers.
Participants also shared their experiences training and building awareness of the pest through agrodealers and agricultural extension agents through Training of Trainers, cascade trainings, and public information campaigns.
If you missed the live webinar, view the full presentation here.
