The Ethiopian Agriculture Authority(EAA) and Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association( EHPEA) hosted a validation workshop today at Capital Hotel on draft SYSTEMS APPROACH to contain False Codling Moth(FCM), a priority and quarantine pest of the European Union(EU).

EAA, EHPEA and growers have been deploying utmost efforts by working in unison to build capacity with regard to identification and management of FCM in the last two years, according to Ambassador Deriba Kuma, Director General of EAA.

Ambassador Deriba underscored the need to comply with the requirements of EU with regard to phytosanitary issues as floriculture industry is the second largest strategic export commodity of Ethiopia.

The director general stated that the concerted efforts have resulted in maximum self- policing at farms level which significantly led to declining trend of interceptions at EU borders.

Mr. Wondale Habtamu, Deputy Director General of EAA and Ethiopia’s NPPO on his part reiterated the readiness of his authority to take bold measures on non -complaint farms as far as the implementation of Systems Approach for FCM is concerned.

Participants drawn from cut flower farms from all clusters, research and academia and development partners were in attendance at the validation workshop.