February 14, 2025 | Farmers Review Africa |
Kenya has approved the nationwide release of Acerophagus papayae wasps to combat the invasive papaya mealybug, a pest causing significant crop losses. The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) led trials in several counties, demonstrating the wasp’s effectiveness in reducing mealybug populations by up to 75%.
Research showed that farmers who received wasps nearly doubled their papaya yields and increased their income by 20%, while also reducing pesticide use. The tiny wasp works by laying eggs on mealybugs, ultimately killing them. The program, funded by partners at no cost to smallholder farmers, will provide mass-reared wasps from a facility in Muguga, Nairobi.
Kenyan agricultural authorities, including KALRO, Kephis, and the National Museums of Kenya, verified the wasp’s effectiveness and safety before granting approval. The initiative aims to sustainably control the pest while reducing chemical pesticide dependency, protecting Kenya’s pawpaw farming sector from annual losses estimated at Sh356,000 per hectare.
