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Plant pests and diseases can have detrimental effects on the agricultural industry and significantly compromise trade in agricultural products between West African countries. Without a sound knowledge of pests and diseases, and above all a coherent policy for their control at national and regional levels, West Africa's coveted ambition to market seeds beyond country borders could be seriously compromised.

That's why CORAF is bringing together more than 40 experts from 16 West African and Sahelian countries in Bamako, Mali, from July 29 to 31, 2019, with the overriding aim of developing the regional list of seed-borne quarantine pests.

Representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), theWest African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), as well as donors, will also be taking part. Funding is provided by the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development (PAIRED), aUSAID-funded initiative implemented by CORAF.

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Seed trade in West Africa has been booming since the harmonization of seed regulations. The development of the pest list will be another step towards the effective implementation of the harmonized ECOWAS regional seed regulations, articles 76 and 78 of which stipulate the periodic updating of the national list of quarantine pests.

"In the absence of an up-to-date national pest list, the risk of pest dissemination remains very high, and the issuance of phytosanitary certificates, essential for cross-border seed transport, remains uncertain. This sums up the basis of the work that CORAF plans to do in Bamako," said Dr Yacouba Diallo, agricultural inputs specialist with CORAF's PAIRED program.

A regional list of quarantine pests for West Africa will be published at the end of the Bamako workshop, marking a further step towards the full implementation of harmonized seed regulations in West Africa.

Phytosanitary inspectors at land, air and sea borders often lack adequate and up-to-date tools to enable them to recognize pests. The results of the workshop will be used to develop implementation manuals and other documents to enable phytosanitary inspectors to inspect and certify seed lots that are pest-free and can circulate freely within the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS zone.

Sound, scientifically proven international criteria and standards will be used to establish the regional list of quarantine pests for crops identified as priorities by ECOWAS. These crops include rice, sorghum, maize, millet, cowpeas, groundnuts, etc.

A process of validation and dissemination of the regional pest list will begin shortly after the Bamako meeting. This involves adoption of the list at the fifth statutory meeting of the Regional Seed Committee to be held in Abuja, Nigeria, in September 2019. Thereafter, ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS will submit the list to their respective Council of Ministers of Agriculture for adoption.