Pest Management Support Services Strategy for Ethiopia.

The Pest Management Support Services Strategy for Ethiopia is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The time-frame of the policy is five years between 2015 and 2019. The objective of the Pest Management Support Services Strategy is developing pest management strategies to increase crop productivity, to produce quality products for marketing and to take crop protection measures.
Crop protection measures will be taken to eradicate and prevent the spread of new pest species, and to reduce pest incidence, restrict their distribution and reduce crop losses. The national pest diagnostic laboratories, national analytic laboratories, plant health clinics, quarantine posts, greenhouses and insectary will be established. The National Biosystematics Center will be equipped with the necessary facilities and infrastructure. In addition, resource allocation will be improved for running the Pest Management Support Services Strategy across the country. The quarantine inspection services will be strengthened and updated to meet international standards by establishing national surveillance system, early warning system, post entry quarantine and a system to identify free and low pest prevalence areas. Prevention and management of invasive alien species will be developed by using national ICT. Pre- and post-registration pesticide management system will be strengthened. Database for pest management will be developed. Integrated pest management will be promoted by determining crop-pest combinations, developing and adapting pest and crop management practices for these combinations, producing guidelines for use and by training through Farmers Field School and other appropriate mechanisms. In order to ensure sustainable development in plant production, institutional capacity building will be enhanced and public participation in pest management program will be promoted. The human resource will be trained and developed by giving technical support by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Awareness raising platforms will be established with the engagement of all stakeholders at all levels.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources is responsible for the implementation of this Strategy. Furthermore the Ministry Agriculture and Natural Resources monitors all stages of the Strategy in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Transport, Roads Authority, the Directorates, related state agencies and private plant protection products suppliers. A Plant Protection Advisory Council will be established to advise and provide technical information to the Ministry regarding the implementation of the Strategy and allocate funds to address the challenges underlined in the Strategy. A national and regional phytosanitary legislation will be drafted and the existing plant protection and quarantine regulations will be updated. Moreover directives and guidelines for the implementation of the Pest Management Support Services Strategy will be drafted, responsibilities of the federal and regional institution will be defined and strong linkage will be established among institutions.