Paul Mayaka

Posted on Mon, 16 Oct 2023, 13:43 Rome, 11 October 2023. The Federal Republic of Somalia has joined the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) as its 185th contracting party. This signals a major boost to the IPPC community and global efforts to prevent pests and promote safe trade in plants and plant products, while fostering regional and international cooperation. Somalia’s accession to the IPPC is also a vote of confidence in the work of the IPPC community to promote stronger phytosanitary capacity. It is a show of solidarity in the complex global effort against pests, for improved food security, protection of environment and economic development. On 27 April 2023, the Eastern Africa nation deposited an instrument of adherence with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to join the IPPC. As such, the country commits to adhering to the international standards for phytosanitary measures set by the IPPC, which are measures by which countries design national requirements to protect plants from pests. This is expected to ease trade in agricultural products between Somalia and other countries. Somalia’s membership in the IPPC also means commitment to the IPPC national reporting obligations that all IPPC contracting parties recognize and adhere to. The countr‎y’s resolve to strengthen its plant protection system, prevent future pest outbreaks, protect its agricultural sector and biodiversity and facilitate trade in agricultural products, brought Somalia to this significant milestone. By joining the IPPC, which provides a framework for international cooperation on plant protection, Somalia is eager to collaborate on the world stage and to access international support and expertise to uplift plant health. Somalia is a predominantly agricultural country, and its economy is heavily dependent on exporting agricultural products. However, in recent years, the country has suffered deadly pest outbreaks which have caused significant economic losses. Since early 2020, Desert locust destroyed about 70 000 hectares of cropland in Somalia and neighboring Ethiopia, in the worst locust invasion the country has witnessed in 25 years. This seriously threatened food security, food supplies and livelihoods of farmers in both countries. Considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world, Desert Locust can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35 000 people. “Somalia’s membership in the IPPC is in the country’s best interests. It can help Somalia protect its agricultural sector and biodiversity, facilitate trade in agricultural products, and gain access to international support and expertise,” said Abdi Mohamed Hussein, Director of the Plant Protection and Research Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of the Federal Republic Somalia. “The IPPC Secretariat applauds the Federal Republic of Somalia on this important historic achievement and welcomes Somalia to the IPPC plant health community,” said Osama El-Lissy, IPPC Secretary. “Increased international travel, trade and climate change are complicating the global pest problem. Moreover, no single country can prevent entry, establishment or proliferation of pests on its own because countries have varying levels of development of phytosanitary capacity and infrastructure. International collaboration is thus essential and so Somalia’s decision to join the IPPC is timely and highly commended,” he added.

The department just completed its very first, for this year 2023, Fumigation training of various stakeholders. Like many in the past, this was a demand based training. The training was held from the 27th of February 2023 to the 2nd of March 2023 and occured at the departments HeadQuarters; Mount Makulu, Chilanga District within Lusaka Province in Zambia.

Zambia is one of the nine countries from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) that have requested to implement the Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE) process within the year, 2023. The programme which will be delivered under the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) project ‘Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance’ is a modular tool that is country-directed and paced, developed to provide a country, a consistent basis to evaluate its national phytosanitary capacities. A PCE is also an important instrument used to guide capacity development needs with stakeholders’ participation for relevance. It is therefore a framework that the country adopts for its own purpose and benefit. The Department of Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service (PQPS) which is the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) of Zambia therefore participated in the PCE Facilitator Training Course which was held in Rome, at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, from 28th November to 7th December 2022. The training course was organised by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat in which nine trainees from eight countries who had initially completed the pre-learning courses were trained on the PCE process. During the training, the skills and knowledge of trainees on phytosanitary matters, use of the logical framework approach in project development and understanding of the PCE modules was strengthened. The training was facilitated by experienced PCE facilitators who guided the trainees on the role of the PCE facilitator which includes to provide guidance to the NPPO as they work through the self-selected modules to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses and priority areas for improvement of their phytosanitary system, management and phytosanitary core activities. Interactive activities such as role play and group exercises were used to reinforce the training learning objectives and to enhance organisation, communication, presentation and teamwork skills among participants. At the end of the training, trainees were awarded a certificate of participation. The NPPO of Zambia was represented by Justina Chivanga Mwila and Brenda Mweemba. The trainees are however expected to apply the acquired knowledge and skill upon their return home to strengthen their phytosanitary systems in their own countries. However, before trainees are considered as certified PCE facilitators, they must work successfully alongside an experienced PCE facilitator to deliver a PCE process in a country that has requested for a PCE process.