The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has launched its public awareness campaign which aims to raise awareness on how protecting plant health can help increase food security, end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment and boost the economic development. The campaign coincides with the launch of the UN's International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) for 2020 held by the FAO.
Director-General of the Plant Health and Protection at the Ministry, Eng. Ayman ِAlGhamdi, said that the campaign also aims to urge people to protect the plants against the spread of devastating pests, foster scientific innovation to address pest threats, promote responsible practices which reduce pest spread.
The campaign targets all members of society, including farmers, importers, exporters, consumers, researchers and scientists, said AlGhamdi.
AlGhamdi said the campaign includes three regional activities in areas of date palm and greenhouses vegetables protection, phytosanitary measures of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), and many local activities across the Kingdom.
To encourage distinguished farmers and researchers in the field of phytosanitary, many awards are to be given to them by the Ministry, universities and research centers, he added.
The Ministry intends to strengthen its technical and institutional capacities in the plant health field through an initiative aims to develop an integrated pest management to protect plants from transboundary plant pests, improve food security and promote sustainable agriculture.