Plant Biosecurity CRC to lead AIFSRC capacity building program in Eastern Africa

Mango is an important domestic and export crop in Kenya and Tanzania that is vulnerable to attack by pests and diseases

Friday, 18 July 2014

Speaking on ACIAR’s biosecurity research program in Melbourne on 18 July 2014, ACIAR CEO Dr Nick Austin announced AIFSRC’s two-year Plant Biosecurity Capacity Development Initiative will be delivered by a consortium led by Australia’s Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre and including CSIRO, the Crawford Fund and CABI International. The new program to build skills in plant biosecurity in eastern Africa will help address significant regional plant pest and disease issues and facilitate intra-African trade through Australian support.

“Poor capacity to control the movement of significant plant pests and diseases in eastern Africa limits farmer incomes and food security, and is an obstacle to regional trade of agricultural products” said Dr Nick Austin. Read more