Roadmap for Integrated Pest Management in Afghanistan

Abstract

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable, science-based decision-making process broadly implemented in agriculture to identify and reduce risks from plant pests and their management-related strategies. In the IPM roadmap program, along with identifying strategic directions for research, implementation activities are essential to realize the full benefits of IPM adaptation. International markets demand high-quality agricultural products without pesticide residues or low Maximum Residue Limits (MRL). Meeting these market demands poses a challenge for growers, given the rise in production costs and the concurrent decline or instability in commodity prices. As the country’s preferred method of tackling crop protection issues, the government has not adopted IPM as a national policy. The Roadmap for the IPM program identifies strategic directions for research, implementation, and measurement activities needed to realize the full benefits of IPM adoption. Their information and views on IPM approaches were collected through consultation with Afghan stakeholders. Based on these views and the facts stated above, this Roadmap has been developed for the country’s agriculture sector.