Newsletter April 2013 - CropLife Africa Middle East

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CropLife Africa Middle East Newsletter Number 89
April 2013
Minor Use Registration workshop, Rabat, Morocco, February 12-13, 2013 cont..
The EACCE and ASPEM participants both spoke of a proposal in the works to establish a technical center to assist small
acreage growers. The technical center would consist of three sections (1) Nursery/Certified seedlings, (2) Pilot farms for
experimentation on small acreages, and (3) A training center to provide technical support to growers, including in the area of
marketing. The proposal has been in the works for two years. These groups voiced a clear need for more information transfer
from government sources.
CropLife Morocco suggested that future event planners should work to include crop producers and pesticide distributors. The
CropLife presentation focused on: (1) need for better communication with and training of small farmers, (2) problems with
counterfeit/smuggled pesticides, (3) the need to update the pesticide regulatory laws, and (4) the need for a National
Multi-Stakeholder Committee to review the list of minor crops annually.
A continued emphasis on the need for extension efforts and awareness programs for small growers was mentioned multiple
times by many of the stakeholders. There are current efforts by USAID, FAO, and ONSSA in collaboration with Moroccan
government and research organizations to train small farmers, but better communication is needed to ensure awareness of the
trainings to the pertinent audience.
At the close of the workshop, ONSSA committed to coordinate the selection of priorities for the Global Minor Use Field Trial
Project (tropical fruit) as well as for mint. The consensus was that it would benefit Morocco to be involved in the project and
associated training and that training in risk assessment would also be useful.
Extract from “Trip Report” – Debra Edwards, PhD Independent Consultant (Univ. MO)
CEMAC-CPAC Regulatory Initiative
L - R, J. Biakath,
Chairman Stewardship
Committee CropLife
Cameroon, B. Yao,
CropLife AME, Mrs. C.
Azouyangui, Director
General, and B.
Bouato, Permanent
Secretary CPAC during
t h e m e e t i n g i n
Yaoundé, Cameroon
On 22 March in Yaoundé, Mrs Catherine Azouyangui, Director, and Benoît Bouato, Permanent Secretary of CPAC, Jean
Biakath, Chairman of Stewardship Committee, CropLife Cameroon and Bama Yao, Regional Coordinator met to plot progress
of, and planned activities of CPAC, since the last meeting in December. The following was noted:
That Mrs Catherine Azouyangui, appointed as Director General has taken up her post.
That no progress has been made on the relationship between CPAC and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (MINADER).
That CPAC should take the first step by contacting the Minister to settle the situation and provide a sound regulatory
environment and policies to attract products.
That both the Director General and the Permanent Secretary will attend the annual workshop in Accra. This will be the
right opportunity for the planned support (registration procedures, GAP/PoR) to the CPAC initiative to be implemented.
Bama Yao
Representing the Plant Science Industry