South Sudanese farmers are expected to benefit from a new pesticide developed to control Fall Armyworm and protect crop yields as more than half the population in South Sudan remain food insecure.
The pesticide, Fawligen, has been developed by AgBiTech to control the Fall Armyworm an insect that can cause significant damage to crops, including maize and sorghum.
According to a press release by the USAID in Juba, a group of South Sudanese agriculture extension agents is beneficiaries of training on the use of the new product in Nairobi this week jointly funded by USAID, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), and AgBiTech.
About 500 South Sudanese farmers are expected to be trained and supported to use Fawligen to control the insect and protect maize crop yields.
Fawligen has been used successfully for pest control in other African countries.