Crop yields in Seychelles could see improvement with the help of a new manual designed to teach farmers how to deal with pests and diseases.

According to figures from the ministry for agriculture, some 25 percent of crop losses in Seychelles are due to pests and diseases.  With the manual, farmers will be able to identify, treat or even take measures for the prevention of pests and diseases that have the potential to harm their crops.

The manual, which is part of a project funded by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), will list most major crops that are produced in Seychelles, along with the most economically important pests and diseases known to be associated with each crop. 

According to Randy Stravens of Plant Protection Services, the treatment suggestions listed in the manual would also reduce a farmer’s tendency to resort to pesticides.

The FAO has completely covered the cost of the project, including the production costs of printing the manual, which should be ready by the end of this month.

“I am very pleased with the way things have gone,” said Dr Jeffrey Jones, plant quarantine officer for the FAO.  “The project objectives as they were laid out have been achieved.”

Dr Jones, who has been one of the FAO’s primary consultants to Seychelles, said that aside from the manual, the FAO’s funding – totaling US$118,500 – would go towards the development of an integrated pest management approach for the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, and specifically its section for plant protection services.

The funding has also allowed Seychellois technicians in plant protection to undergo additional training.  Two of its staff members within plant protection have recently completed courses in Kenya, and three more have been awarded with funds to pursue further education.

The FAO’s increased involvement in fighting and containing pests and diseases in Seychelles dates back to July, when the ministry held its first stakeholder workshop on phytosanitary measures to bring together the involved parties and pinpoint areas of concern.

Dr Jones said that the government had acted swiftly to remedy one of the key components that FAO officials said was lacking in Seychelles – a diagnostic laboratory.

The designated building for the laboratory is currently being refurbished and is expected to be in operation by October.  Some of the equipment for the lab is already in Seychelles, while the rest will be supplied by the FAO, Dr Jones said.

FAO consultants have also helped to produce a management tool for use in the laboratory – a computerised pest and disease database.

Even with the strides that have been made since July, Dr Jones indicated that the project was not the last step.

“The project has filled certain gaps, but there are many more gaps to fill and projects to tackle,” Dr Jones said.  “I am hopeful that the government and the FAO can continue to move forward together in partnership.”

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