Fall Armyworm likely to spread from India to other parts of Asia with South East Asia and South China most at risk

Fall Armyworm could threaten the food security and livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers in Asia as the invasive crop-eating pest is highly likely to spread further from India, with South East Asia and South China most at risk, FAO warned today.

Fall armyworm, a pest which feeds on maize and other key crops, has been detected in an India state, Karnataka, according to officials. In neighboring Tamil Nadu, about 15% to 20% of the maize crops on the campus of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University showed evidence of the worm.

It has already ravaged a dozen or so countries in Africa, with some areas of Zimbabwe suffering up to 70% crop destruction. According to the Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and the UK's Department for International Development, African nations stand to lose between $2.4 billion and $6.1 billion due to the worm.


"Fall Armyworm could have a devastating impact on Asia's maize and rice producers - mostly small-scale farmers who depend on their crops for food and to make a living. This is a threat that we cannot ignore," said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.

In Asia, where small-scale farmers cultivate about 80 percent of the region's farmlands, rice and maize are amongst the most produced and consumed cereals. Over 200 million hectares of maize and rice are cultivated annually in Asia. China is the second-largest maize-producing country in the world, and over 90 percent of the world's rice is produced and consumed in the Asia-Pacific region.

Native to the Americas, Fall Armyworm has already spread across Africa where it was first detected in early 2016. By early 2018, all but 10 (mostly in the north of the continent) African states and territories have reported infestations and the pest has affected millions of hectares of maize and sorghum.

FAO offers its expertise on sustainable management of Fall Armyworm

Given FAO's knowledge and coordination role towards a sustainable management of Fall Armyworm in Africa, FAO is offering its expertise to famers and governments in Asia who will quickly face decisions about best ways to manage the pest.

"Much of what FAO has already done in sub-Saharan Africa to help farmers and governments better monitor and mitigate Fall Armyworm damage can also be applied in Asia. This includes recommendations on pesticide management, monitoring and early warning, and a practical guide for farmers and government extension workers on how to best manage the pest," said Hans Dreyer, Director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division.

FAO offers its expertise to help farmers and member states in Asia to:

• Implement the Fall Armyworm Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS) to monitor, analyse and produce early warnings, including risk to food security;
• Produce accurate estimates of potential crop-loss, based on the FAMEWS data and estimates of yield loss due to Fall Armyworm;
• Provide policy and technical advice about best management options for farmers, especially smallholder farmers, including on pesticide management;
• Rollout a continent-wide programme of farmer education and communication, based on training guides and materials, including locally adapted versions of the Fall Armyworm Farmer Field School Guide and other guidance material produced by FAO;
• Maintain technical backstopping and coordination efforts at country, sub-regional, regional and global level in order to continue enabling member countries, farmers' organizations and individual farmers to manage the pest.

In Africa, FAO took immediate steps as soon as Fall Armyworm was detected, bringing together experts to share knowledge and experiences on sustainable Fall Armyworm management; developing tools (farmers' manual, mobile apps, web-platform, FAWRisk-Map) to build early warning, monitoring and response mechanisms; and supporting countries to mitigate pest damage, develop action plans and policies, and train extension workers and farmers.

To date, more than 30 FAO-supported projects have been rolled out in Africa to fight the pest.