SA safe from FAW for now

It is currently unlikely
that South Africa will
face restrictions on its
agricultural exports
following the invasion
of the Fall Army Worm
(FAW) – as the pest is
airborne and needs to
be carried in harvested
products to enter a
country.
“The producers
are working hard at
eliminating the pest,
in conjunction with
the Department of
Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (Daff),
which has implemented
the South African
Emergency Plant Pest
Response Plan and is fasttracking
the certification
and manufacturing of
effective pesticides,” said
Paul Makube, senior
agricultural economist at
FNB Business.
He conceded however
that the outbreak, if
not contained, could
potentially affect
production. “However,
most of South Africa’s
maize is genetically
modified (GMO) and is
far less susceptible to the
pest,” Makube said.