Uganda has reaffirmed its commitment to regional efforts aimed at controlling migratory pests that threaten food production and agricultural livelihoods across Eastern Africa.
Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Minister Frank Tumwebaze hosted and chaired the 71st Council of Ministers session of the Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA) in Entebbe, Uganda.
The two-day ministerial meeting brings together ministers and delegations from DLCO-EA member states to deliberate on measures to strengthen regional cooperation in controlling migratory pests.
Tumwebaze said Uganda remained committed to supporting the organisation as part of the country's broader crop protection strategy.
“Uganda commits to continue meeting its membership obligations to DLCO-EA as part of our crop protection strategy,” Tumwebaze said.
The minister welcomed the participating ministers and their delegations, expressing hope that the meeting would produce practical outcomes for member countries.
“I welcome the Ministers and their delegations from the member countries attending this Ministerial session and I wish them nice and fruitful deliberations,” he said.
The DLCO-EA was established in 1962 through a convention signed by nine Eastern African countries, according to Tumwebaze. Its mandate includes supporting member states in preventing and controlling migratory pests capable of causing significant damage to crops and livestock.
The organisation focuses on pests including desert locusts, armyworms, tsetse flies and quelea birds, all of which can pose challenges to food production and food security when their populations increase.
Desert locusts, in particular, can travel across borders in large swarms, making regional coordination important in surveillance, early warning and control operations.
The ministerial session therefore provides member states with an opportunity to review cooperation mechanisms and strengthen preparedness against pest outbreaks that can affect agricultural production across national boundaries.
Tumwebaze's remarks come as Eastern African countries continue to rely on coordinated agricultural protection measures to limit the impact of migratory pests on food supplies.
The meeting in Entebbe also highlights the role of regional institutions in supporting countries to respond to agricultural threats that do not respect national borders.
Uganda's continued participation in DLCO-EA, Tumwebaze said, forms part of its efforts to protect crops and support food security through regional cooperation.