Dr. Peter Chinwada, FAO International Plant Production Protection Specialist, from Harare, Zimbabwe, visited Seychelles from August 11 to 18, 2025, as part of his ongoing mission focused on the FAO Technical Programme ‘TCP/SEY/3901’of supporting the promotion of Integrated Pest Management in response to climate change in the Seychelles. As the main facilitator of this initiative, Dr. Chinwada aimed to develop a Climate-Smart Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategy specifically for Seychelles.
To begin his mission, Dr. Peter met with officials from the Agriculture Department and national consultants from the FAO for a briefing on the progress and challenges related to the implementation of the Climate Smart Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategy. He also visited various farms and the research and laboratory facilities of the Agriculture Department. These field visits targeted pre-selected sites to evaluate the status of priority pests and diseases, review current pest and disease management practices, examine record-keeping on farms, and gather data on priority pests, including incidence, damage severity, and pest densities. Additionally, they collected baseline survey data during these visits.
On Wednesday, August 14, 2025, Dr. Peter conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) program attended by officers from the Agriculture Department. The training session included both theoretical and practical activities. Participants learned to design effective extension messages for farmers, inspect for pests and diseases, conduct field inspections at the Anse Boileau Crop and Research Centre, and design field trials. Additionally, the officers practiced estimating field area using stride length.
To conclude his mission, Dr. Peter met with officials from the Agriculture Department, representatives from the FAO country office, and national consultants to submit his debrief note on Monday, August 18, 2025. The debrief session summarized the outcomes of the activities, key findings, and the proposed way forward. Dr. Peter reported that, given the geographic isolation and size of Seychelles, it may be more effective to aim for eradication rather than management when addressing certain key pests.
The dispersed nature of the islands makes it possible to ‘contain’ less mobile pests in discrete locations and eradicate them. Control of some pests, e.g., leafminers (Liriomyza spp.), through ‘closed seasons’ needs to be seriously considered. Drawing up legislation to enforce this would be helpful. Relying on pesticide spraying when there is clear evidence of resistance does not work, not to mention human health concerns due to pesticide residues on crop produce. The Ministry should establish permanent sentinel stations for pest surveillance, strengthen capacity in pest surveillance, monitoring, and farmer-level IPM adoption. Mobilise resources for pilot projects, particularly in high-risk pest areas. Maintain stakeholder engagement through periodic review meetings and updates.
The Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Department has expressed appreciation for the collaborative efforts and is committed to providing full support for the finalization of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy. Dr. Peter will continue to work closely with the Agriculture Department to ensure the timely completion of this important project, and he is expected to return to the country by the end of this year for the validation of the National IPM strategy.
