A team of scientists and experts from the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO – Uganda) tipped journalists on pests and pesticides reporting in the fight to prevent crop pests and disease outbreaks that threaten food security, causing huge economic losses.
These were stated, during the two-day training held between March 24th to 25th, 2025, in Jinja, nurturing a stronger partnership to enhance public awareness and response to pest and disease threats where journalists, under their media houses, need to accurately report with facts while also passing on solutions to the various challenges they report about.
Joab Tugume, the Senior Agricultural Inspector – Quarantine and import regulation department of crop pest inspection and certification at MAAIF noted that the training involved equipping journalists with skills in pest reporting as well as reliable information when it comes to pests and diseases.
“Many times journalists have always reported stories with inaccurate information indicating that there is a gap between the scientists and the journalists, so we believe that if journalists are equipped with the right information, they will be able to report accurately,” he said.
In addition, Tugume highlighted that the training also intended to provide the journalists with the right sources of information because some of them didn’t know the existence of certain departments of government like the Department of Crop Inspection and Certification, crop Protection which is responsible for Management of new pests and existing pests among others.
“We also wanted the journalists to know the impact of the information they share when it comes to agriculture because pests can also go beyond and affect market access.”
On behalf of FAO Uganda, Martin Ameu revealed that out of the Global crop production, 40 per cent of it is taken away by pests, meaning that there is a lot of energy and resources lost in the process of production and yet the output is not 100 per cent.
He, therefore, called for collaborative efforts among all stakeholders to reduce this challenge of pests and diseases that affect the SDGs of zero hunger by 2030 and eradication of poverty.
Agatha Ayebazibwe, the Communications Officer at FAO explained that the media plays a vital role in building awareness and influencing public opinion, thus their role goes beyond just reporting, and they may take the lead in communicating reliable information and promoting inclusive approaches for agricultural growth.
The training concluded with a call for plant health reporting for accurate information, responsible pesticide use, and bridging the science-public gap in the fight to prevent crop pests and disease outbreaks that threaten food security, causing huge economic losses while also engaging in solutions reporting to disseminate stories that give solutions to particular challenges in the community.
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