BY EVA NAMUGABI
The Centre for Agriculture Bio-sciences International –CABI identifies the need for supporting farmers with timely agricultural advisory services for improved quality production and food security.
Under their new initiative of PlantwisePlus, CABI aims at supporting over 75 million smallholder farmers in 27 countries worldwide to be able to detect and control crop pests, promote safer pest control methods through providing digital agricultural advisory services.
It is also noted that as CABI continues to work in partnership, it will contribute to greater awareness and opportunities for collaboration to further scale-up the PlantwisePlus programme in Uganda.
This will create and transform employment to support economic development and contribute to consumer demand for safer, higher quality and locally produced food to drive the uptake of safer production practices.
According to the Senior Regional Director, Africa, Dr Morris Akiri, PlantwisePlus initiative, helps in bridging the gap, at the national and regional level where there is no consistent or coordinated mechanism for detection of and response to pest outbreaks, or for providing the technical support needed to identify plant health problems.
Akiri explains that PlantwisePlus uses the CABI Digital Library and PlantwisePlus Toolkit to deliver services to farmers. The toolkit includes digital tools such as the CABI Bio Protection Portal, the Plantwise Knowledge Bank, and the Plantwise Factsheet Library app.
These tools contribute to sustainable crop production by promoting awareness and use of biocontrol and biopesticide products among farmers.
Among other CABI initiatives in Uganda include the innovative One Health initiative that is offering joint crop and livestock services for smallholder farmers in Uganda.
This integrated crop and livestock health advisory service enables smallholder farmers to address major health and production problems affecting crops, livestock and food safety.
Meanwhile they serve as a platform to assess farmers’ awareness of One Health issues, which is essential for solution design. CABI is also collaborating with the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), to step up the fight against pests and diseases of papaya in Uganda.
During the stakeholders meeting organized by CABI’s regional Centre for Africa –Nairobi held in Kampala , Dr Akiri, noted that they are also collaborating with the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), and the Ministry of Agriculture (MAAIF), to step up the fight against pests and diseases of papaya in Uganda.
On the other hand ,under the Plantwise initiative, over 900 plant doctors were trained and 300 plant clinics and ‘e-plant clinics’ initiated in 96 districts in Uganda dedicated to aiding smallholder farmers in diagnosing and mitigating the effects of various pests and diseases. This includes addressing threats like the fall armyworm pest, which, if untreated, can destroy crops such as maize.