FAO co-organized a Regional Workshop on FAW in Asia together with the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). Eleven Asian countries participated and shared the status of their sustainable FAW management and progress on the implementation of the country work plans since the last workshop in Bangkok.
![Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm]( "Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm")
Pan Wenbo, Director Department of Crop Production, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), and Hans Dreyer, Director Plant Production and Protection Division FAO discussing joint actions on FAW management in Asia.
Outcomes
All countries shared the status of their sustainable FAW management and progress on the implementation of the country work plans since the last workshop in Bangkok.
Key challenges and gaps were analyzed and future priorities identified in terms of FAW management: many countries would appreciate support for research knowledge sharing. The Monitoring and Early Warning capacities in many countries should be enhanced. As many governments give out pesticides for free as a first reaction, there is still great reliance on the use of pesticides. All countries agreed that lessons learnt should be shared throughout the region. Many new innovative technologies and products on monitoring and sustainable management measures were well showcased during the field visit. This includes the use of pheromone lures and traps, mating disruption, use of biocontrol and biopesticides, mass trapping tools, high altitude and radar trapping monitoring system, and automatic monitoring systems.
In order to improve regional collaboration on FAW Monitoring and Early Warning and its sustainable management, voluntary joint actions on sustainable FAW management were agreed upon by all 11 participating countries. In addition, a working group was set up under the Asia-Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC) for coordination of the joint actions that include:
Promotion of sustainable FAW management in Asia, including promotion of Integrated Pest Management Practices (IPM) and biocontrol to reduce reliance on pesticides
Strengthening policy and financial support
![Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm]( "Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm")
Representatives from 11 Asian countries exchanged knowledge and lessons learnt on sustainable FAW management during the field visit organized by MARA.
In addition, a representative from FAO's Business Development and Resource Mobilization Division presented the possible funding mechanisms for a global FAW programme. Scaling up the support provided to farmers and governments is a high priority both for FAO and the Chinese government. It was proposed to work together to mobilize resources for regional joint actions on FAW. Furthermore, China committed to provide monitoring equipment and products for testing and adaptation in requesting countries to strengthen their capacities and ultimately contribute to a coherent and successful FAW management approach in Asia.
For further information, please visit the report on the FAW Regional Meeting and the presentation of innovative FAW management technologies (in Chinese).
![Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm]( "Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm")
Farmer Trainings are an effective means to show farmers what FAW is and how to sustainably manage it in the field.
Venue Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China
Dates 11-15 November, 2019
Background
Fall Armyworm (FAW) is a kind of transboundary insect pest with rapid and long-distance migratory ability. After its first invasion in South Asia countries in late 2018, FAW has spread to most South Asia and Southeast Asian countries in just about 18 months. Sustainable management of FAW requires regional collaboration including sharing of information and experiences and by carrying out coordinated actions on monitoring and management among Asian countries.
Participating countries
Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam.
![Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm]( "Asian countries join forces to manage Fall Armyworm")
The field visit showcased many examples for FAW management using biological control-trapping and mating interruption.