By Mandere Onyinkwa
Kenya has called on countries in Central and Southern Africa to strengthen cooperation and surveillance systems to contain red locusts and other migratory pests threatening food security and agricultural production.
Acting Agriculture Secretary James Wanjohi made the appeal at the 42nd Regular Session of the Governing Council of Ministers of the International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa (IRLCO-CSA) in Mozambique.
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Wanjohi, who represented Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, delivered Kenya’s position at the meeting held under the country’s chairmanship.
In his address, Kagwe said migratory pests posed a regional threat that required coordinated interventions rather than isolated national responses.
He urged member states to strengthen cross-border surveillance, research, information sharing and early warning systems to detect outbreaks and prevent their spread.
“Early detection and preventive interventions are more effective and less costly than responding to widespread outbreaks,” Kagwe said in his remarks.
He noted that climate-related uncertainties had made it increasingly important for countries to improve their capacity to anticipate and respond to pest outbreaks.
The Cabinet Secretary also called for responsible pesticide use to protect human health and the environment, as well as predictable funding and stronger institutional capacity for the organisation.
He challenged member states to translate their deliberations into practical programmes supported by adequate financing, clear implementation timelines and accountability mechanisms.
The meeting reviewed IRLCO-CSA’s progress and identified priority areas for strengthening its operations and regional response to migratory pests.
Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Mito Albino, commended Kenya for its leadership of the organisation over the past year.
Albino attributed the organisation’s progress to the leadership demonstrated under Kagwe’s tenure, saying it had contributed to its growth and positive direction.
The Kenyan delegation also visited agricultural value chains in Mozambique, where it observed technologies being deployed by private sector players to produce high-value export commodities.
The visit focused on crops including bananas, macadamia nuts, avocados, mangoes and oranges, highlighting opportunities for agricultural value addition, regional trade and export growth.
The regional meeting comes amid concerns over the impact of migratory pests on agricultural production and livelihoods, particularly where outbreaks cross national borders and require coordinated monitoring and control measures.
