Workshop highlighted the need to scale up community-based plant clinics to delivering practical advice and solutions to farmers to deal with crop diseases and pests thereby boosting productivity.

A two-day national stakeholders forum on Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International(GABI)- Ethiopia Plantwise Initiative was opened yesterday on the premises of the Ethiopian Agricultural Centre for Research.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Ministry Plant Health Regulatory Directorate Entomologist and CABI Plantwise National Coordinator Konjit Feleke told journalists on the occasion that though no study and analysis have been conducted, there is much loss of production due to pests and crop disease. It is in this light that the CABI Ethiopia Plantwise Initiative was launched in 2013 following agreement reached with CABI.

CABI has been among the leading centers in helping countries to promote agricultural production through prevention of crop diseases and pests.

As part of the Initiative, a pilot project was first launched in Oromia State where 8 community-based clinics have been established and later expanded to Amhara and Tigray States

According to Konjit, plant clinics provide advise and recommendations to farmers for crop diseases prevention and crop management and prescribe the necessary pesticides and treatments.

The States are increasing the numbers of plant clinics on their own resources realizing that such clinics would improve productivity and prevent loss of production, she added.

Farmers bring samples of diseased plants for identification and advice. Feedback is provided on spot for more recognizable problems. But for any things that is difficult to diagnose. The clinics help to achieve crop quality and yield, loss of production due to disease and pests, Konjit said.

With the current challenges posed by the rising pests and diseases problems , there is a need to find innovative way to give solution to agrarian communities.

The plant clinics are well equipped with experts trained by the Initiative and are run by local extension staff known as plant doctor who set up the clinics in rural market place to give services to farmers.

The workshop is reviewing the performance of pilot projects and put way forward for 2016 plans.

Source - http://allafrica.com/