Virtual Meeting for the national focal points of Red Palm Weevil Management Programme in the Near East and North Africa
Hybrid Event, 26/01/2021
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) will host the third regional Tele-meeting for nominated National Focal Points (NFP) of the RPW programme in the Near East and North Africa region on Tuesday 26 January 2021. NFPs from 18 countries will meet to support planning, coordination and implementation of the FAO Project on RPW Management. The meeting will be attended by representatives from FAO national offices in NENA countries, NENA regional and sub-regional Plant Protection Officers in addition to technical officers and specialists from FAO Headquarter and the Regional office for the NENA Region.
The meeting will include an update on the status of Letters of Agreement being signed by FAO and project partners and the second tele-training on “Survey and sampling plans to determine level of infestation in RPW area-wide management programmes”. In addition to discussions and expert’s opinion on the RPW status and management efforts in Tunisia and Yemen. National Focal Points from Bahrain and Libya will present briefs about the status and RPW management efforts in their countries. The meeting will also examine the status of baseline data submitted by member countries.
The Red Palm Weevil is a serious transboundary pest of date palm, coconut and ornamental palms and is among the world’s major invasive pests that attacks around 40 palm species in about 50 countries, causing widespread damage to date palms and other plantations and impacts production, farmer livelihoods and the environment. The FAO regional programme on RPW eradication addresses the gaps in RPW management in three main thematic areas: research, technology transfer and capacity building. FAO has developed projects focussing in areas of RPW monitoring and early detection, farmer participation and control technologies, socio-economic impact, phytosanitary systems, border protocols and production of certified propagation material.